New Beginnings
by julesmonster
Summary: The end of the war has come and gone. Harry lost much to Voldemort's evil, and then he lost more to the type of bigotry he thought they were fighting to end. Spoilers for Deathly Hallows-EWE-and all prior books to be on the safe side. Slash HP/SS MPreg
1. Chapter 1

**New Beginnings**

**By Julesmonster**

**Summary:** The end of the war has come and gone. Harry lost much to Voldemort's evil, and then he lost more to the type of bigotry he thought they were fighting to end. Spoilers for Deathly Hallows and all prior books(just to be on the safe side.) Slash HP/SS. MPreg.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: **So I've been suffering from writer's block for what seems like forever. I've got so many stories that I haven't been able to finish that it's just sad. And then I got inspired to write this little plot bunny and in four days start to finish it is complete. Go figure. Finally I have been able to actually finish something! Hopefully this is a good sign that the worst of the writer's block has passed and I'll be able to get back to finishing those fics that have been moldering for more than a month. If you follow my Glee fics, the MPreg Puckurt is high on my priority list, so do not despair! I'm also working on a Bones, an NCIS and a QaF fic. Which will be finished next is up to the muses who have been very fickle lately.

There are 11 chapters in this story (10 regular chapters and an epilogue) and I will post one chapter a day until it is all online.

This was a quick write, so there may be some errors. If so, I do apologize. I don't write much HP these days and it's been a while since I read the seventh book. Also, I know I took a lot of liberties by just shoving a secret affair between Harry and Snape into the events of the seventh book, but… well, it's called fan fiction for a reason. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Jules

**Part One**

"What's the current exchange rate between galleons and the American dollar?" Harry asked Konkernog, Chief Goblin of the Important Wizard Accounts division at Gringotts. He was sitting in the comfortable chair the goblin kept in his office for times when he met with the banks more affluent and influential customers. Harry just considered himself lucky that the goblins had forgiven him for breaking into one of their vaults only two weeks prior. The end of the war, Harry's status as the hero who defeated Voldemort and his overflowing vaults had all contributed to their willingness to forgive, he was sure.

Konkernog eyed Harry suspiciously, but he said, "It is currently quite favorable. $40.56 to the galleon. It is the highest exchange rate this decade and could prove profitable if you were to invest in the dollar."

"I'm not looking to invest," Harry said. "I'm looking to relocate."

Again Konkernog stared at Harry for a long minute before replying. Harry wondered what the smaller creature was thinking, but he was too tired and fed up with life to truly care. "How much of your funds were you looking to exchange?"

Harry chuckled. That's what the fuss was all about? "Not everything. Not even close to everything. The majority of my vaults would remain intact here where your capable staff can manage and invest them as you have been doing for my entire life and probably for generations before me."

"Twelve generations Gringotts has managed Potter vaults," the goblin confirmed.

"Exactly," Harry said. "I'm just looking to send enough money to America to start a new life. I want… I want to go where no one knows me."

The goblin nodded slowly. "I believe we can assist you with the transition. Where were you considering relocating? Gringotts has branches in most major cities, and ties to many of the major American muggle financial institutions. I can also arrange for the proper documents you would need… for a small fee, of course."

"Of course," Harry said with a small smile. Dealing with goblins was sometimes trickier than dealing with a Slytherin, but at least their motives were always clear. "You can make those documents for the pseudonym I will be using?"

"Of course," Konkernog said with a grisly smile. "And if you ever decide to revert to your given name, any new certifications or documents you have signed or received under that name will revert to Harry Potter. It will take approximately one day to arrange everything."

Harry nodded and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. "This is the name I will be using in America. I'm planning on going to New York—Manhattan specifically—though I haven't yet

found an apartment."

The goblin nodded. "We have five branches in New York, one in each borough. I shall contact the branch in Manhattan's Pearson Square and arrange for an account to be set up there. I will also have him contact a local muggle bank and set up an account under the new name. I will also have him get in touch with a real estate agent and set up an appointment for you. How soon will you be leaving?"

"As soon as you can get everything set up," Harry shrugged sorrowfully. "There's nothing left for me here." The goblin showed no sympathy and Harry was somewhat grateful. He didn't need fawning over. He just needed to get the hell out of Britain.

"Very well, if you return tomorrow morning at this time, I shall have everything arranged," Konkernog said. "In the meantime, here is a credit card under the assumed name connected to your current accounts for any expenses you may have arranging for you travel." Harry took the card and the goblin turned his back on Harry and began scratching notes into a journal. Harry assumed that meant he was dismissed, so he rose and left the office and then the bank.

He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up to hide his face. It was still early, only eight in the morning, and Diagon Alley was mostly deserted. The celebrations had been going on for almost two weeks now and Harry knew that most people were probably still in bed, sleeping off the excesses of the night before. He wondered how long people would celebrate. He wondered how long it would take for anyone to notice that the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the Vanquisher of Voldemort had disappeared.

Harry left the alley through the Leaky Cauldron without ever looking up at Tom, who was tiredly washing down tables. He made it out to the muggle street and walked along until he reached the same underground station he and Hagrid had taken on his eleventh birthday. It all seemed so long ago now. It was a short trip from there to Kensington. He had gotten a hotel room there the night before. It was a part of London Harry had no ties to and he knew none of the people he knew would look for him there.

Once off the tube, Harry went up to the High street and found a place to grab breakfast. An hour later, he headed down to the shops that lined the street. He was in dire need of clothes. Most of the clothes he owned were either Dudley's cast-offs or school robes. The jeans and sweatshirt he was wearing and a couple other items were all that he had that were worth keeping.

Most of his day was actually taken up with buying a whole new wardrobe, new luggage to pack that wardrobe in, toiletries, and a few other personal items. And then Harry found the electronics shop. Harry was in awe of all the gadgets. He knew about computers and cell phones and the basics of the digital age, but so much had changed since he had been eleven.

"Can I help you sir?"

Harry looked at the man who couldn't have been more than a couple years older than him and smiled. "I'm not even sure where to begin. Everything has changed so much!"

"I'm sorry?" the man asked with a confused frown.

Harry thought fast. "Sorry, my folks are missionaries. We've been in South America for seven years. This is the first time I've even seen a computer since we left. It looks like everything has changed."

"It has," the clerk said with a chuckle. "I'm Scott, by the way."

"Harry," the young wizard offered with a smile.

It was a slow sales day and so for the next two hours, Scott showed Harry everything. As they talked and Harry explained that he was heading for America the next day, Scott encouraged him to wait before making any of the major purchases, since American electronics worked differently. Something to do with electricity that Harry didn't understand, but he believed Scott. He did get a few smaller items, like the hand-held game system, that he could use in the hotel tonight and on the flight over. He also made up a list of things that he wanted to purchase once he was settled in New York.

By the time Harry returned to the hotel that evening, he was exhausted but satisfied that he had accomplished something. Dinner at the pub in the hotel was simple and easy and then Harry only had one last thing to take care of.

"Mr. Blake, how my I help you this evening?" the concierge asked as Harry stepped to the desk.

"I'm going to need to book a flight to New York for tomorrow and reservations at a hotel in Manhattan," Harry said. "Can you assist me with that?"

"Certainly," she said with a smile. "Is there a particular time of day or airline you prefer?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I do have a morning appointment here in London, but I should be finished by ten at the latest."

"What about a return date?" she asked.

"I don't have one," Harry said. "I'm really not sure how long my business will keep me there."

"Alright, let me see what I can find," she said and began to type information into her computer. "I can get you on a flight that leaves out of Heathrow at 12:30 pm and get you to New York at 3:39 pm. Would that work?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"And would you prefer economy, business, or first class?"

Harry, knowing nothing about flying really, picked the middle option, figuring it was the safest bet. "Business class."

"Good idea," she said. "If you can afford it, Business class or first class is the only way to fly, especially when you're crossing the Atlantic. It's too long to be cramped into one of those horrible economy seats."

Harry nodded like he knew what the hell she was talking about and handed her his Gringotts credit card when she asked for it. He was glad that Konkernog had thought of it. He had paid for his room with cash, but he knew that wasn't an option now. In minutes, he had his seat assignment and boarding pass in hand as well as a confirmation for his hotel in New York and headed up to his room.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Konkernog was waiting for Harry the moment he walked through the doors of Gringotts the next morning. Harry followed the creature back to his office and retook the seat he had occupied the day before. He waited patiently while Konkernog gathered the documents into a file and handed them over to Harry.

"You'll find your passport, resident visa, and educational documents are all in there under the name you gave me yesterday," Konkernog said. "In addition, I have taken the liberty of creating a personal history and curriculum vitae that have also been included in the file. The bank cards are linked to either your Gringotts account in New York or the muggle bank. I have arranged for the contents of vault 2796 to be transferred to the New York branch and $500,000 has been placed in you new muggle account."

Harry looked at the paperwork and found that vault 2796 contained more than 3 million galleons. That should be more than enough to keep him going for a very long time, especially if the exchange rate continued to be so good.

"I have also arranged for regular transfers to your muggle account," the goblin continued. "$50,000 will be deposited monthly taken from the interest on your accounts here. That should be adequate to cover living expenses, I believe?"

"More than," Harry agreed a little breathlessly. He took out the passport of Harrison Blake and looked at the photo of himself. Without the distinctive scar, lost in the final battle, he looked rather normal and unassuming.

"The name of your account representative in Manhattan is included in the file," Konkernog said. "And he has arranged for you to meet with a prominent muggle real estate broker tomorrow at 10 am. The contact information is also in the file."

"That's great," Harry said with a smile. It was amazing what money could do. For so long Harry had gone without—without material possessions, without love, and without a home—but now he had the means to rectify at least some of what he had been missing.

Konkernog nodded and handed Harry some strange looking green bills. "This is $5,000. You will more than likely have need of cash before you can get to your muggle bank. I do suggest that you visit both the Gringotts branch there as well as the muggle bank to ensure that the transfers went smoothly. If you need more than the allotted monthly transfer for some reason, just go to the bank in Manhattan and they will arrange it. If you cannot go there, you may send a letter with your magical signature on it to my attention and I will handle the transaction."

"Thank you for everything," Harry said with a smile. He knew from Lucius Malfoy's trial after his fifth year that the goblins held privacy above any other law and they would never reveal any of this information to the Ministry or anyone else who might try to find him.

"You are welcome, Mr. Blake," Konkernog said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The trip to Heathrow, getting through the airport and the flight to New York were all an adventure, but by the time Harry finally arrived at his hotel overlooking Central Park, he was exhausted. He paid the cabbie and allowed the bellhop to help him bring his luggage inside and then went to the front desk to check in. A quick check of his passport, a swipe of his new credit card and he was headed up to a suite. It was only 6 pm New York time, but it was midnight in London and Harry was tired. So his first night in America he ordered room service and went to bed early.

The next morning he ordered room service again and then got dressed for his meeting with the real estate agent. A quick word with the concierge, and Harry had a cab to the woman's office.

Carrie Ross was a chipper woman with a bright smile and Harry liked her right off the bat. "So, Mr. Blake, what sort of home are you looking for?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. I was told by my financial advisor that I can spend approximately $10 million. I have no idea what that will buy me or what the neighborhoods around here are like, so I'm pretty much relying on you for guidance."

"Carl wasn't kidding when he said you could afford the best," Carrie said. Harry knew from reading through the file Konkernog had given him that Carl was actually Carl Roberts, the bank manager of the muggle bank where Harry had his accounts. "Well, let's start with a few questions about your lifestyle. Are you a homebody? Do you like going out evenings? Are you gay or straight? Are you planning on working or going to school? And if so, where?"

Harry was shocked at the blunt questions, but he put it down to the differences between Americans and the British. "I… well, I value my privacy and security is an issue."

"Certainly," Carrie said with a smile. "With the kind of money you're talking about, security surely would be an issue."

"Right," Harry said. "Um, I don't go out a lot, but I think I would like a little bit of activity in the neighborhood. I'll probably end up going to school, but I don't know where or even what I want to study yet. As for my, um, sexuality, I guess I prefer men, but I don't really see how that applies to house hunting."

Carrie laughed. "Well, around here, it can mean a lot. For instance, there are some really great neighborhoods that are predominantly gay, just as there are neighborhoods that are predominantly Latino, or African American or even Portuguese. Many people prefer to live near people like themselves."

"I think that would actually be pretty nice," Harry said.

"Well, then, why don't we start our search in Chelsea?" Carrie asked and began typing on her computer. Soon she was showing Harry various properties that were for sale in that neighborhood and telling him a little bit about the things that were close by. Within an hour, they had five places to look at and were on their way.

The first stop was a converted carriage house that was really nice, but was in an area that was a little too far away from everything for Harry. The second place was a brownstone and it was absolutely gorgeous with all the original wood work and newly renovated kitchen, but it was too much space for just him. There was another townhouse that was just too big, and then there was the new construction penthouse that wouldn't be available for six months. Their last stop was a renovated factory.

"This used to be a chocolate factory," Carrie told Harry. "Just one of the many reasons I like this property."

The apartment had been renovated to incorporate some of the original architecture, like the rough hewn wooden support beams that crossed the ceilings and the columns in the kitchen and living room. But it also had modern touches that made it very interesting and unique. There were three guest suites besides the master suite, for a total of four bedrooms and 4½ baths. The dining area was right off the main foyer and open to the kitchen and living room. Off the modern muggle kitchen there was a laundry room, a pantry and a storage room that Harry could just imagine being turned into a potions lab; he had to shake that thought off, however, because Severus would never be there to utilize such a room.

There was a library with built-in shelves on three walls that looked very cozy and warm. One of the biggest selling points of the flat for Harry, though, was the fact that the living room, library and master bedroom all three had fireplaces. He wasn't about to put all of them on the floo network, but one for emergencies would be good; besides, Harry really loved to sit in front of a crackling fire on a cold evening. But the best part of all was the private rooftop garden just off the master bedroom and living room. The garden was well tended with built in flower beds, a vegetable and herb garden and even two potted fruit trees. There was also an outdoor kitchen, a fifty foot lap pool and a four person sauna out there.

"This is the place I want," Harry said. "How quickly can I buy it and move in?"

Carrie smiled at his enthusiasm. "Well, it's empty right now, and it's been on the market for a while, so I'm willing to bet that the sellers will be willing to contract for a quick closing. After that, it's up to the banks."

"I'm paying cash, will that speed things up?" Harry asked.

Carrie paused. "You aren't financing _any_ of the sale price?"

"No," Harry said. "I can have a bank draft written up today if it will move things along."

Carrie looked at Harry for a long minute. "I can get an inspector here this week to sign off on the house inspection. I'd say we could wave it, because it really isn't required, but it's smart to know what you're getting yourself into before making a purchase this large. And I'll talk to the sellers and see what they say."

They discussed how much Harry wanted to offer on the place and Harry decided that since it was below his original budget anyway, he'd just offer the full asking price. If it saved time and hassle he thought it was worth it. He wanted to buy this place and he wanted to move in already.

Harry looked around out in the garden while Carrie went inside to make the necessary calls. She came back a few minutes later with a smile on her face. "They accepted the offer and agreed to the terms. As long as everything checks out with the inspection tomorrow and there are no complications with the bank transfer, we can close on Monday."

"I'll speak to my bank tomorrow, then and get the draft written up," Harry said.

They signed a few papers and Harry stared at the unfamiliar signature. He'd have to get used to seeing another name from now on. Afterwards, Carrie took Harry out to lunch to celebrate.

"Well, we found a place on the boarder of Chelsea and the West Village," Carrie said. "Now if you want to go to NYU, it's in walking distance. And there are plenty of great things to do around here. What's next on your agenda, Harry?"

"I'm going to need to hire a decorator I suppose," Harry said. "I've never even furnished a single room, let alone a whole apartment."

"Well, I have a friend who is a decorator," Carrie said. "He's just getting started in the business, and could really use the work, but he's got a talent for blending function and design. He decorated my office."

"Really?" Harry asked. "I'd like to meet him, I think."

Carrie smiled and lifted her glass, "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings," Harry echoed with a sad smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

The days seemed to pass by in a blur of activity. Harry was so busy getting the apartment ready and decorated that he hardly had time to dwell on everything that he had left behind. At least at first. But once Rick, Carrie's designer friend, was finished with the apartment and there were no more trips to furniture and fabric stores, once he had seen the sights and shopped for more clothes than any one man needed, and once he had checked out of the hotel and had finally moved into his new home, Harry didn't quite know what to do with himself.

Too much time on his hands gave him too much time to dwell on the past. Harry loved his new apartment but he spent every night for the first two weeks crying through the night. He had lost so much in the fight against Voldemort, and now that it was over, his life was supposed be better, but instead it was worse. Sure he had a great place to live, but he had no friends, no family. No lover.

While he was out running around the city in the daylight hours, Harry was able to keep thoughts of his lover away, but once he was alone in his bed at night, it was almost impossible to shut out the pain and grief of losing him.

No one had known that Harry and Severus had been lovers, not even Ron and Hermione. No one had known that Harry knew all along what Snape would have to do at the end of their sixth year or that he had found ways to sneak away to see Severus while they were on the run. No one had known that just days before the final battle Harry had slipped away from Shell Cottage to meet with Severus or that they had spent 12 glorious hours making love and promising to love each other forever. No one had known that when Harry watched Severus die in the Shrieking Shack, a large part of Harry died there too, or that when Harry walked to meet his death in the Forbidden Forest that he was glad. He was glad that he would be able to be with Severus and his parents, with Remus and Sirius.

But Harry hadn't stayed dead and he'd defeated Voldemort. Afterward, he had been tired and grieving and he hadn't been prepared for Ginny's sexual advances or Ron and Hermione's incessant questions. He hadn't meant to blurt out that he was gay. He hadn't meant to tell Ginny that there would never be anything between them in such a rude way. (He didn't actually believe that how he told her would have made a difference but he should have been nicer about it.) Homosexuality was just not accepted among "respectable" pureblood families. Only dirty Slytherins and muggleborns who didn't know any better were homosexual. And the Boy Who Lived, or whatever appellation the papers had coined this week, was certainly not allowed to be gay. And a gay man would never be allowed to care for a child, according to Andromeda Tonks and the solicitor Harry had consulted. Being gay was worse than being a werewolf according to most of the wizarding world and wizarding law backed that theory.

Everyone had turned on Harry, shunning him as surely as they had shunned Percy after he had questioned Dumbledore's wisdom or Sirius after he was framed, and the Weasleys were the worst. They were a family of absolutes; everything in life was black and white and there was no room for shades of gray. Hermione looked sad and reluctant to desert him, but Harry knew that she loved Ron and if she wanted to stay with him she had a part to play so he let her go, too.

Harry hadn't wanted to face being alone in Britain. There were too many memories and it would be too hard to disappear into the muggle world there. Even as a child, he could remember people coming up to him on the street. They would find him. Not his former friends, but the masses that either worshipped or hated him depending on the weather. And so he left. He had stayed around long enough to set the record straight about Severus' contribution to the war, testify at the Malfoys' trials and then he had left.

But now that he was on his own, ready to start his new life, Harry found that he was stuck in his grief and couldn't find his way out. It was like being trapped in a bog: the harder he tried to get out of it, the deeper in he slipped.

But then one afternoon, as Harry was sitting at a table in the restaurant just down the block, he overheard some people talking. "I'm telling you, it made all the difference in the world," one man said. "After Sarah died, I thought I might as well curl up and die right along with her. But my sister insisted that I go see her therapist."

"I just can't picture you in therapy," the other man said.

"I know, right?" the first man said. "But I'm telling you, Joe, it got me back on my feet. This woman specializes in grief counseling and she really helped me. I mean, things are still hard sometimes, like her birthday or our anniversary, but I know I can get through it now."

When the two men got up to go, Harry acted on impulse like the foolish Gryffindor Severus always accused him of being and caught their attention. "I'm sorry, I know how rude it is to listen to other people's conversations, but… can I have the name of that therapist?" Harry asked pleading with his eyes. "I… lost someone last month and…"

"Sure kid," the man said sympathetically. He pulled a card from his wallet. "This is her. And if she can't help you, I'm sure she can recommend someone who can."

Harry took the card and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." Once he was back at his table, Harry pulled out his new cell phone and called the number. Maybe a muggle doctor could help him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Within a month, Harry was feeling better emotionally, thanks in part to the therapist and in part to the antidepressants the doctor had prescribed. Physically, however, Harry was feeling horrid. He was vomiting every morning like clockwork. He considered going to a muggle doctor, but he was afraid that the muggle drugs he was already on might be what was making him so ill, so he decided to seek out a healer.

This entailed a trip to the wizarding district down in SoHo. The entrance to the district, called Pearson's Square, was through a small coffee shop. Harry had been there once before when he had met with the goblin handling his account at Gringotts. The district was actually built around a public square with one or two small alleys branching off at each of the four corners. In comparison to Diagon Alley, it was huge. Harry hadn't yet bothered to explore the various alleys since he had been concerned with being recognized, though he thought he might soon.

Even though Voldemort was definitely a British problem, that didn't change the fact that the press around the world had followed the war. Harry knew for a fact that his face had been on the covers of several American wizarding publications after the end of the war; he had seen them himself when he had first arrived. Then again, the photos the papers here ran were old, taken in his fourth year and featured his scar and his glasses. Without the scar and with muggle contact lenses, Harry felt a little better about not being recognized.

Harry stopped at the coffee shop and asked the server there where he could find a healer and he received directions to the clinic that served the Square. He also found out that there were other clinics in the city, three hospitals and any number of healers in private practice. The girl said that he should obtain a wizarding yellow pages from the bookstore so he would be able to find things in the future. Harry thought that was a good idea, but decided it could wait until after his visit to the clinic.

The clinic was bustling with people, mostly mothers with children with running noses or minor magical mishaps. There were a couple men who looked like they had been dosed with some sort of potion because they were pink all over. Harry checked in with the receptionist and filled out the proper forms and then sat down to wait his turn. He saw several of the children with muggle hand-held video games so Harry pulled his out of his rucksack and played until his name was finally called.

Once in the exam room, Harry discovered that seeing a healer here was not like going to Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts; it was more like visiting a muggle doctor. The room had an exam table and a counter with various jars and equipment as well as a couple chairs and a rolling stool. Harry sat on the exam table and waited. Five minutes later, a mediwizard came in and checked his vital statistics, noting them on a chart, and then left again.

When the healer came in, Harry was playing his game again. "Is that Patapon? I love that game, but my son steals it from me all the time. I think I need to get a second cartridge."

Harry chuckled and put the game away. The healer didn't look like he was more than a few years older than Harry. "I just got my PSP a few weeks ago and I think I'm addicted to the thing."

The healer chuckled as he took a seat on the rolling stool. "It happens to all of us. I'm Healer Albright, but you can call me John. So, what seems to be the trouble?"

"Well, John, I've been experiencing nausea and vomiting every morning, but it goes away by lunchtime," Harry said. "And I've been really tired and cranky lately. I've also been depressed."

The healer nodded as he looked over Harry's chart. "Have you been sexually active recently?"

Harry blushed. "Not since my partner died two months ago. That's part of why I moved here: to start over where there weren't any painful memories."

"I'm sorry," John said and he looked truly sympathetic. "Are on any medications or potions?"

Harry had brought the prescription bottle with him, so he handed that to the doctor and he noted the drug in his chart. "Well, I have a theory, but let me run a few diagnostic scans before I share them, okay?"

"Sure," Harry agreed. He lay back on the exam table when the healer directed him and closed his eyes while the man waved his wand over Harry a few times.

"You can sit up," John said a few minutes later. He had a smile on his face when Harry looked over at him. "It's not every day I get to give patients good news."

"So I'm not sick?' Harry asked with a frown. How could throwing up every morning be a good thing?

"Nope," he smiled. "You're pregnant."

Harry stared at the man for a long minute and blinked a few times while he attempted to let that sink in. "But… but I'm male."

John sighed. "Brought up muggle?"

"Until I was eleven," Harry confirmed.

"And your school didn't cover sex education?" he asked sounding a little annoyed. "That's very irresponsible."

"Most British schools don't cover sex education in Britain, muggle or magic," Harry said with a shrug. "They assume your families will teach you or you'll go to the muggle clinic to learn. They do have free classes; I was just never able to go."

"As I said, irresponsible," the young healer said. "But not your fault and not really the issue at hand. No, male muggles cannot get pregnant, but wizards can. And you are. About two and a half months along I would guess."

"April 27th," Harry said softly. "That was the last time we were together before… he died May 2nd. We were apart a lot the last few months and I think the time that was at the end of March."

"The April date seems more likely, then," John said kindly. "I'm going to take you off of the muggle antidepressants. They won't harm the baby, but I'd feel better if you were taking a potion that I know will be safe and effective. Also, I'm going to prescribe an anti-nausea potion and a nutritional potion. Do you have a reputable apothecary you use?"

"No," Harry said as he shook his head. "I've not needed one up to now."

"Well, I see from your chart that you're living in Chelsea?"

"On the border of Chelsea and the West Village," Harry agreed.

"Alright, I'll give you the address for an apothecary there," John said. "The brewer is one of the best in the city. I use that apothecary for my own family. I'm also going to refer you to a healer in your area that specializes in wizard pregnancies. She's affiliated with the magical hospital in the Village, so you won't have to go far when the baby comes."

Harry took a deep breath. "Am I really pregnant?"

"You really are," the healer verified. "While I'm writing things down for you, I might as well give you the information for the New Father's Parenting Group I run. We meet once a week and I think you'll find that there others like yourself who can help you figure out how to muddle through the pregnancy and help you deal with any concerns you might have about being a parent. I was about your age when I became a father, and I've raised Nate on my own since my boyfriend was a complete prick and ran out on us before Nate was born."

Harry nodded again but he was shocked. "Um, can I ask you a question?" John nodded so Harry asked, "You're um … well, gay? And people know?"

John smiled sadly. "Actually, I'm bisexual. I take it that the wizarding community in Britain isn't as enlightened as the one here?"

"I guess not," Harry said. "I mean, I was pretty much shunned by all my friends and family because I'm gay… That's another reason I left after Sev died."

"Well, just so you know, not only is it accepted here, but marriage and bondings between two men are both legal and pretty common," the young healer told him. "You should look into some of the local laws and customs, stop by the bookstore or the library. Just because we all use magic and speak the same language doesn't mean our societies are identical."

"I'll do that, thanks," Harry said.

"I hope I see you at the group," John said and then he was gone. A few minutes later, a mediwitch came in and handed him a computer printout of all the information that John had promised. The fact that they used computers wasn't really a shock since Harry had seen most of the stores in Pearson Square with computers of some sort. Another way the Americans were ahead of the British, it seemed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

Harry stopped at the bookstore that was on the square and found himself loading up a basket with books on everything: sex education, male pregnancy, American wizarding laws and customs, and the yellow pages were just the beginning. He brought the first basket up to the counter and emptied it, asking the clerk to hold those books while he went back for more. Harry searched for and found study guides for the American equivalent to the NEWTs and put two into his basket. He used the chapter index as a guide to select books on each subject so that he could study for and pass the WEEPs (Wizarding Examinations, Evaluations and Practicals).

Harry had emptied and refilled his basket five times before he moved on from the practical subjects to the fun subjects like Quidditch and the American game of Quadpot. He also found a book on how to update your magical home for the digital age by adjusting your muggle television to receive wizarding cable and getting on the magical world web (the internet for magical folks). When it as all said and done, Harry had picked out more than seventy books.

The clerk looked at Harry a little skeptically. "Um, is this everything?"

Harry smiled at the man and handed over his Gringotts card. "Yeah. Can I arrange to have the books delivered to my home? I know I could shrink them, but even shrunk, that's a lot of books to lug around."

"Um, sure," he said and began scanning the books one by one with his wand and Harry watched as the titles appeared on the computer screen one by one along with the price. When it was all done, Harry paid a small fortune, but he shrugged off the expense. He had a whole library to fill and more money than he knew what to do with; he could afford to splurge on books. Hermione would be so proud.

Harry shook his head as he left the store. He was getting better about not dwelling on the past, but he still missed Hermione. He knew that, of all the friends who had openly shunned him, she was the only one who really hadn't wanted to turn her back on him, but she had been forced to make a choice. He didn't blame her for choosing Ron—he would have chosen Severus over her—but it did hurt.

Harry saw that the store next to the book store was a store for pets and familiars. Since losing Hedwig, Harry felt keenly the absence of his familiar, but he hadn't taken any steps to replace her. Owls weren't used for communication in America since it seemed like the whole country was on computers and had phones. (Harry wondered if they ever used floo travel and if not, what did they use instead?) But Harry felt like maybe it was time to look for a new familiar, a new companion to keep him company while he waited for the birth of his and Severus' child. (And that staggering realization hit him once again: he was pregnant!)

Harry took a deep breath and stepped through the door. Inside the shop was alive with noise. They may not use owls for communication, but they still used them as familiars it seemed, along with other more colorful and exotic birds. There were also lizards and frogs and toads and snakes and dogs and cats… Harry skipped past the rats, but got waylaid by the hissing of the snakes in their various cages. Some were downright mean, hissing threats to anyone who walked past, while a few seemed to be senile.

Harry moved on to look at the colorful fish in the tanks at the back at the store and thought maybe a just a plain old ordinary fish tank would be better than being alone. He was almost decided when a little bundle of fluff jumped from the floor to the counter beside Harry and began rubbing its little head on Harry's belly.

Just then the clerk came by and she smiled at him. "You expecting?"

Harry frowned. "How did you know?"

"The kitten," she said. "Sometimes they know. Sometimes they can feel the magic even before the baby is born."

Harry had to think about that. "So you're saying that this kitten wants to be my baby's familiar?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? All I know is that this little fellow hasn't done that to anyone else and I've had a dozen pregnant witches and wizards in here this week."

Harry picked up the little ball of fluff and looked it in the eyes. "You want to come home with us?" The cat just licked Harry's nose and purred. She was too cute for Harry to leave behind. "Alright, you win."

And so Harry headed home with a familiar for his baby and a lot to consider.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry spent the first two days after leaving the clinic pointedly _**not**_ thinking about the baby. Instead, he spent his days reading through the WEEP requirements and setting up a study schedule. He also called the local educational board, the number for which he found in his new wizarding yellow pages, and discovered that they would be conducting tests at the end of the summer, which only gave him about a month to study.

Harry went over to NYU and applied to become a student in both the magical and muggle divisions. He had no idea what he wanted to study, but he was in no great hurry, so he figured he could take some courses and decide later. The counselor in the magical admissions office had said that they would allow him to take classes for a semester as a visiting student while they decided on his application. Then she helped him select and register for classes. Knowing that getting around might start to be a little difficult by December, Harry kept his course load light and only took three classes: a beginning art course, a magical theory course and a writing course. After years of death and destruction, Harry liked the idea of studying things that involved creation.

It wasn't until he was on his way back from the school that thoughts of the baby returned full-force. He was walking down the street, glancing into shop windows as he passed, when he saw the baby store and just found himself wandering inside.

"May I help you sir?"

Harry was so lost in looking at all the little clothes and toys and furniture that he hardly noticed the woman approaching until she spoke to him.

Harry blinked at her. "I'm going to be a dad. In January."

She smiled at him. "Congratulations. What can we help you with today?"

Harry shook his head and blurted out, "There's just so much stuff! Do babies use all this?"

"Well, it depends," she said with a laugh. "Some of it is for those parents who have to have every gizmo and gadget ever created. For instance, this digital bottle warmer? It's handy, but a microwave works just as well. "

"How do I learn about this stuff?" Harry wondered aloud as he picked up a little bib that said "I love my daddy." He kept that as they continued to wander through the small store.

"Well, there are places on the internet, or you can talk to other parents and find out what they think is most useful. I can tell you that there are a few things that are essential, like a crib, bottles, diapers, clothes…"

"Right," Harry said. He picked up a stuffed dragon and a stuffed unicorn, two animals that seemed out of place in this very muggle store, and carried those with him as well.

"You said your girlfriend isn't due until January?" the woman asked. "Well, you'll have some time to work through these questions then. And you can bring her back to look as well."

Harry finally looked at the woman. "She… um, she's not keeping the baby. She's giving it to me to raise. And we aren't together anymore."

The saleswoman gave him a sympathetic smile. "Doing it on your own can be challenging, but I'll tell you that a child is worth all the sacrifices and worry and long nights. I'm a single mom, and I wouldn't trade a single day with my Hailey."

Harry smiled. "Thanks. I think I'll just get these for now and… come back when I know what the heck I'm looking for. I appreciate your advice, though."

"You're welcome," she said. "I'm Helen, by the way. I'll put a copy of our catalogue in your bag so you can get an idea of the furniture and other items we carry. Most things have to be ordered in advance since we can't keep too much in stock in such a small store."

Harry checked out and thanked Helen again. He would look through the catalogue and he would look on the internet once he finally got that all set up. That was why Harry ended up crossing the street and heading for the large electronics store. It was actually huge, especially for being in New York where it seemed all the stores were the size of Harry's cupboard under the stairs. This store took up four floors and seemed to have every type of electronic equipment one could imagine.

"Excuse me, sir?" Harry asked one of the clerks rushing past wearing the store's trademark blue shirt. "I'm going to need a lot of help. I need to buy… pretty much everything."

The man stopped and smiled. Harry wondered if they worked on commission; if so, this guy was going to make a month's worth in one afternoon.

Two hours later, Harry had picked out an Apple desktop computer, an iPad, an iphone to replace the cheap prepaid he had been using, a stereo that would play the music from his iphone (the man showed him how to download the music from the internet and Harry thought that was probably the best invention ever, since he loved music), and a Playstation 3 to hook up to his television.

That was where they had stalled, selecting a television.

"I don't understand why anyone would want that, though," Harry said. He took off the 3D glasses and handed them back to Mike, the salesman who had been helping him all afternoon. "That just gives me a headache. I just want a regular telly."

Mike shrugged. Harry wasn't the first to shun the latest video technology. "Sure. We've got a huge range of sizes." Mike proceeded to show Harry everything from a tiny flat screen that could be mounted under the kitchen counter to a huge one that looked to be bigger than his sofa. They finally settled on a 65 inch LED TV. Mike also discussed how Harry could wire his living room for surround sound, so Harry bought the speakers for that as well.

Harry asked about movies, and Mike showed him the BluRay players, but suggested that ordering movies through the cable company would be easier. Since Harry didn't yet have cable, that started a discussion on the pros and cons of various providers. Eventually, Mike led Harry back to the tech help desk and they arranged to have everything installed and delivered, even going so far as to arrange with the cable company for when they would be able to wire Harry's apartment. Harry chuckled to himself as Mike and two other guys worked it all out, amazed again at what a little bit of money could do.

Two days later, Harry sat down at his new computer and followed the tech's instructions about how to get online and start exploring while another tech and the cable guy worked together to set up the television and surround sound in the living room. Then he got a lesson on how to work the television and even how to order movies. It took six hours but Harry was eventually set up like a high-tech muggle and left alone to explore his new digital world.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

While Harry was discovering the digital world, back in England in an old manor that had once been gloriously resplendent in its elegance and beauty but was now suffering the ravages of war, a woman sat beside a bed—in that bed lay a man, ghostly pale and gaunt. He had been lying there for months now and still he did not wake. She had been tending to him since discovering his body, just barely clinging to life at the close of the final battle and she had taken her old friend home with her in the hopes that she might be able to final repay the favor he had done for her. He had saved her son, now it was her turn to save him. She just wished she knew how to do that. His injuries were healed, the poison that should have killed him had been counteracted and there was no longer any reason for him not to wake. And still he slept on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

Harry passed his WEEPs quite easily, and his scores were sent to the wizarding admissions office at NYU. A week later, he was accepted as a fully matriculated student; he could now study for either a muggle or a wizarding degree, or both. By the time school began, Harry was feeling better about his life and where it was headed. He knew things weren't going to be easy, but he had a future to plan and a child on the way and things could be a lot worse than they actually were. He continued to see his therapist, though he thought it was getting a little pointless now. He could only tell her certain things so he constantly had to guard what he said. He was still grieving for his losses, but he was now beginning to see that the grief wouldn't last forever. He knew he would always love Severus. He knew that he would always regret the way things turned out with Ron and Hermione, but he could move beyond that grief.

Autumn came and with it changes to Harry's body. By September his flat belly had begun to pooch and the nausea that had plagued him was fading. He was more energetic and found himself exploring the city again when he wasn't in classes or studying. He had also begun attending the New Fathers group and John had become a friend. They would often go out for dinner after the group meetings and talk about all the things that were so new and different to Harry in this new country.

Classes were different than anything Harry had ever experienced at Hogwarts or at his primary school in Surrey. He loved both his art course and the writing course. He found that he truly was more of a hands-on type of person and art suited that part of him, but writing allowed him another outlet for his feelings and creativity.

His Introduction to Magical Theory course was interesting. It gave a basic overview of all the different fields of study and Harry was able to grasp a little better where he would like to concentrate his studies in the future. He thought he might go for a double major, one muggle and one magical. The muggle degree would be in Fine Arts. The magical degree would be in Transfiguration with a concentration in becoming an animagus. Neither degree was exactly great for a career besides teaching, but Harry didn't need the money and he wanted to be home to raise his baby anyway, so he could be happy just doing what he liked while he raised his son.

Harry wore a glamour most days once he began to show, not wanting the muggles in his classes or his apartment building to question his rapid weight gain. But he found that the wizarding shops carried clothes for men who were pregnant and was able to find plenty of clothes that were both comfortable and stylish. Wizards in America weren't so mired in tradition and robes were really only ever worn for formal events. Most wizarding clothes looked just like muggle clothes, except they often had little extras, like a wand pocket in his jeans or a warming charm on his new jacket.

Harry found that fall in New York, while it could be chilly, was nothing compared to the cold dampness that had been the norm in Scotland. And with his body adjusting to the baby, he found he was warmer than usual, anyway.

The first time Harry felt the baby kick, he was so startled and confused that he went to see Healer Haldipur. She assured him that everything was perfectly fine, and was very patient with his sometimes inane questions. Harry was glad that John had recommended her. She really was a very nice woman.

Rather than calling Rick up again when the time came to decorate the nursery, Harry decided to look for a wizarding decorator. He wanted to put in a magical mural of unicorns and dragons and he also decided to turn the storage room into a potions lab. He never was the best brewer, but he could make basic healing potions and some of the easier household potions that would be useful once the baby was born. The decorator ordered more furniture than Harry thought one small baby could ever need, but he was assured that it was all necessary, and Harry helped furnish the lab in such a way as he knew Severus would have done if it had been his lab. Both the nursery and lab were almost completely finished by the time Harry's midterms came around. There were just a few small personal things for the nursery and the potions ingredients for the lab left, and Harry would pick those things up over the weeks between now and the birth.

Healer Haldipur had told him on his very first visit back in July that he was definitely having a boy, and Harry couldn't be happier. He wondered if his baby boy would have his eyes or Severus', if he would have Harry's coarsely messy hair or Severus' fine strands that seemed to get greasy so easily when surrounded by potions fumes all day. Would he like to fly or would he prefer the more academic pursuits that Severus always preferred. No matter what, Harry vowed that his son would never lack for love or affection the way he had and he would never have to fear those who should love him the way both he and Severus had.

On one unusually warm evening in November, Harry was on his way home from class and decided to stop at his favorite restaurant for dinner. One thing about New York was that there was never a lack of places to eat. He stopped cold in his tracks, however, when he saw what seemed to be a familiar figure looking at a menu at one of the tables. His first instinct was to turn around and run in the opposite direction, but Harry knew that it was too late when the girl in question turned.

"Harry!"

Harry sighed and stepped forward. "Hello Luna. How've you been?"

"Just lovely, thank you," Luna Lovegood said with a dreamy smile. "Father and I are in town looking into a reported sighting of Wringlespars. They are quite dangerous, you know. They can suck the magic right out of unsuspecting familiars."

"That's…" Harry couldn't really decide what that was.

"Are you living here now?" Luna said. "Because I've missed you. I know that some of the others are being quite disagreeable, but not everyone is as close-minded as they are. I do hope you will remember that."

"I… Thanks, Luna," Harry said sincerely. "Are you in town for long?"

"Just until tomorrow," Luna sighed. "We have a portkey at half ten in the morning."

"Oh, well, maybe I could join you for dinner and we could catch up?" Harry asked. It had been so long since he felt like he had a real friend to talk to.

"That would be lovely," Luna smiled. "I was just looking over the menu."

Harry sat across from her and the waitress brought him a menu and took his drink order. They talked about what dishes Harry had tried and what he recommended and had soon ordered.

"When are you due?" Luna asked once the waitress had gone.

Harry flushed. "You can tell? I thought with the glamour…"

Luna shrugged. "I can't see the baby, but I can sense his aura. He's going to be very powerful." 

"I expect him sometime mid-January," Harry said. "But you never really can know with these things."

"A Capricorn, but he's going to rush to be on the cusp of Sagittarius. He's an impatient one, like you, Harry," Luna said. "He's going to want to come early and see the world. I'd say sometime between Christmas and New Years."

Harry chuckled. He had long ago stopped doubting Luna on things like this. She was inevitably right. She might have some pretty skewed views on the world, but she was a very talented witch. "I'll be ready, then."

Talk turned to their classmates and friends, though Luna was careful to avoid mention of the Weasleys until Harry asked.

"They are… I have heard from Neville that things have been difficult. Ron asked Hermione to marry him, but things aren't as happy as they should be. I saw them in Diagon Alley before school started and their auras were turbulent. I do not think they will make a good match."

"Really?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure if he should be pleased by that news or feel bad for them. "I always thought they would be blissfully happy together."

Luna shook her head. "If they continue with this folly, they will both be miserable. At least that's what I see in their auras."

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked.

"She has dated a string of boys since school started back," Luna said. "She is not making a good name for herself."

Harry huffed a humorless laugh. "She can slut around but I can't be gay. That makes sense."

Luna laughed, but hers was actually amused. "Not everyone still holds to those old prejudices. Things are changing Harry. After the war, with so much death and grief because of bigotry, there are those who are working to change how things are perceived."

"I'm not going back," Harry said. "I'm glad things are changing, but… things are easier here. I don't have to hide or worry about being hounded by the press. I don't have to live up to unrealistic expectations. I can be myself."

"I think you should stay here," Luna said. "Your aura is more peaceful than I have ever seen it. I just think that you should know that you do still have friends back home. You have me, and Neville misses you terribly. I know Headmistress McGonagall misses you as well. We have spoken of you a few times."

Harry smiled at that. He might just have to send letters back with Luna. "Would you like to come back to mine? I have praline ice cream and we can stop at the bakery on the way to pick up a pie or something."

"That would be lovely," Luna said. "Father did not expect to return to the hotel until very late. Wringlespars are nocturnal creatures, as you know."

Harry paid the bill and then the two old friends walked the short distance to the bakery and then on to Harry's flat. "This is lovely!" Luna was impressed by Harry's living space, so Harry gave her the grand tour. She liked the mural in the nursery; she even said that the room had a good vibe for nurturing children. Harry grinned at that but continued on. Once they got to the garden, Harry lit the gas fire pit and cast a warming charm on the area. They sat and had their dessert out there, watching as the stars twinkled overhead.

"Why aren't you in school?" Harry finally asked.

"Oh, father convinced the headmistress that this would be an educational trip," Luna said. "I'm not sure she believed him, but she let me go anyway."

Harry could just imagine that conversation. "I'm glad she did. If I wrote a couple notes, could you pass them on to Neville and McGonagall?"

"I will," Luna said with a smile.

They went inside and Harry set the TV up for Luna and then went to the library to pull out his stationery. Neither letter was long, but he did tell them a little about his life and that he missed them. He invited each of them to write to him, but asked that they keep anything they might learn about his life or whereabouts to themselves.

Once he was finished, he came back out to find that Luna was sleeping on his sofa. He smiled as he shook her awake. "Let me escort you back to the hotel," Harry said.

Luna nodded and followed Harry back down and let him hail a cab for them. Soon they were on their way uptown. "I promise that I will not tell anyone else where you are or what you are doing," Luna said, breaking the silence in the darkened taxi.

"You can tell Neville and McGonagall," Harry said. "And if Hermione ever asks, you can tell her I'm happy, but make her write before you send her my way."

Luna giggled at that. "I am so very glad I ran into you, Harry Potter."

"That's Harry Blake to you," Harry said.

They arrived at the hotel and Harry stepped out of the cab to give Luna a tight hug before watching her disappear into the hotel. Then he got back into the cab and directed him to go back the way they came.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Back at the manor which was slowly being reconstructed, the woman sat beside the bed of the sleeping man once again. She sighed, weary of watching one of her dearest friends languish. She had done everything she knew, but still there was no change.

"Mother, you must not spend all your time brooding over Uncle Severus," Draco Malfoy said. She had not heard him enter the room.

"I am not brooding," Narcissa denied. "I am simply trying to understand why he has not yet awoken."

"You heard healer Marsh," Draco sighed. "He will wake when he is ready to wake. There is nothing that we can do in the meantime."

They were both silent for a moment or two before Draco asked, "Do you think that it's true, what the gossips are saying?"

"About Severus and Harry Potter?" Narcissa asked. "I have no idea. I do know that your Uncle Severus has always preferred the company of men. Lily Potter nee Evans was the only exception to that rule, and I believe that was more confused adolescent affection than true romantic love."

"Do you think we should try and contact Potter?" Draco asked. "He thinks Uncle Severus is dead."

"We could not even if we wished to do so," Narcissa reminded her son. "You know that the Potter boy disappeared. No one has been able to locate him."

Draco shrugged. "It was just a thought. I'm just glad he stayed long enough to testify at mine and father's trials. Otherwise we would both be in Azkaban by now."

Narcissa chuckled, "There are days I believe you father would have preferred Azkaban to the community service he must perform."

Draco shrugged. "It isn't so bad, you know. I've found that the halfbloods, muggles and muggleborns we work with at the center aren't as bad as father has always made them out to be."

"No they aren't," Narcissa agreed, thinking of Harry Potter. "The Potter boy should have proved that by now. Despite everything this family put him through, he saved you and then kept you and your father out of prison."

"You and I saved him too," Draco said.

"No, we simply did not speak out against him at crucial moments," Narcissa disagreed. "He actively put his life and his reputation on the line to assist our family."

"I guess I can see your point," Draco muttered. "That doesn't mean I have to like him, does it?"

Narcissa laughed softly at that, "As though that was even a possibility. But when your godfather awakens, if the rumors are true about him and Potter, you will, no doubt, come into contact with him and I will expect you to conduct yourself in a civilized manner."

"Of course," Draco said. "So you do think it's true about him and Potter?"

Narcissa didn't have an opportunity to reply, because just then, Severus Snape sat straight up in bed and looked at them with wide and desperate eyes. "Harry?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

Minerva McGonagall had been stunned when Luna Lovegood had delivered the first letter from Harry Potter. She had heard through other members of the Order of the rift between Harry and the Weasleys and had been heartbroken for the young man who had sacrificed everything to save them only to be rejected, once again, by the people who were supposed to love him. She had been to busy with the rebuilding of that castle at the time to assure Harry of his loyalty before he disappeared—a fact that she deeply regretted. Nevertheless, she had a thing or two to say to Molly Weasley the next time their paths crossed. Molly could be a formidable woman, but she had nothing on Minerva McGonagall in a snit. It hadn't changed anything, but at least it made her feel better.

And then she had received that letter and it had been a boon to her heart.

Harry was well and building a new life for himself in New York. Imagine that. Minerva had talked with Luna for a while about how Harry looked and acted, if he seemed happy, what he was doing with himself and the girl had been happy to fill in her headmistress on everything she asked, but Minerva could tell that she was holding something back. There was one thing that Luna wasn't sharing, but since Minerva didn't think that it was anything bad, she allowed the matter to drop. Of course, she wrote the boy back the very next day and in the weeks since, it had almost become a weekly occurrence to get a letter redirected from the international floo post.

She had just received one such letter along with a small parcel that morning over breakfast, but had been too busy to open the gift or read the letter. The students were all off for the Christmas holidays but there were always a million and one things to do, even on Boxing Day. Minerva had no idea how Albus had kept up with everything and still plotted the downfall of Voldemort.

Minerva sighed and shook her head. She still missed the manipulative old coot.

_Dear Professor,_

_Happy Christmas! I hope you like the little trinket I picked up for you. I saw it in a little wizarding shop and thought of you._

_You'll be happy to hear that I aced all of my classes. I just got my results back today and I did very well. I'm going to have to take next semester off, but I'm already looking into which courses I'm going to take during the summer semester._

_Thanks for the tin of shortbread. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find such things around here. I mean, they have the boxed stuff that is imported, but that's never quite the same. Maybe you have an old family recipe you could share with a poor emigrant student? (You can't see it but I'm making puppy eyes at you right now.)_

_I'm not making any promises about visiting, but you are more than welcome to come any time you would like. I have a guest room waiting just for you. I would love to show you the city._

_Ever your friend,_

_Harry_

Minerva chuckled. "That boy. I'm definitely going to have to go see him."

"See which boy?"

Minerva looked up from the letter and almost fell out of her chair. "Sweet Circe! Severus!" She was up and hugging her old friend faster than should be possible for a woman of her advanced years.

Severus grudgingly bore her emotional outburst and patted her back awkwardly. "There, there. Do try not to get any snot on these robes. I've just bought them. Nearly scared the robes off of Madam Malkin, too." He sounded all too pleased with his last statement.

Minerva gave a water chuckle and swatted at Severus' chest as she stepped back. "You are still a bastard, I see. What… How…?"

"Sit and order up some tea and I shall tell you the whole sordid tale," Severus said mildly.

Severus was as good as his word and told her about the antivenin he had been carrying around for months, about taking the potion every day—just in case—and when the time came how Nagini had bitten him in such a way that he had almost lost too much blood to survive. He told how Narcissa Malfoy had found him and taken him back to the manor and saved his life. He told her about being in the coma and not wanting to come back because he was sure that there was nothing left to live for. And then he told her about hearing distant voices talking about a specific person and how he had come back just for him.

"Are you going to tell me who this mysterious person is?" Minerva asked. "Or shall I take a guess?"

"Considering the fact that the boy told his adoptive family, who then not only shunned him but spread the word around to all and sundry, I should think it wouldn't be too hard to guess," Snape said dryly. "It has taken me more than a month to regain enough strength to begin to search for the brat."

"And you thought I might know where to begin that search," Minerva said with a smile.

"I had hoped," Severus said. "And considering you have a letter written in his hand upon your desk, I should think that I might just be right."

"You are right," Minerva said. "I do know. But I also promised that I wouldn't tell anyone where he is or what he is doing. I gave him my word."

"What _**can**_you tell me?" Severus asked with a frown.

"How about this?" Minerva said. "What do students do after graduation, if they do not take a job?"

"Usually they go on to further education," Severus said. Minerva smiled at him. "So Harry is attending university somewhere. Not in the UK, else there would have been sightings by now. The continent?" Minerva frowned. "Not the continent. He'll go somewhere that speaks English, since he was never very apt at learning languages. That leaves the US, Canada, New Zealand or Australia." Minerva smiled and Severus thought for a moment on how to narrow that down. "Not Australia or New Zealand. Miss Granger sent her parents to Australia and he will have wanted to go someplace without any connections, even remote connections, to his past."

"That leaves North America," McGonagall stated.

"There are a lot of universities in North America," Severus countered with a scowl. He hated guessing games. "He'll have gone to live in a big city. He always said that he thought he'd like the bustle and activity of city life."

"You know your boy well," Minerva remarked.

"New York?" Severus guessed and Minerva smiled again. "But where in New York? NYU is the only wizarding school in Manhattan, and I can't imagine he would want to live in one of the boroughs." Again with that smug smile. "So somewhere near NYU."

"You are very good at this game," Minerva said. "Albus trained you well."

Severus rolled his eyes. If he wasn't so desperate to find Harry, he might tell her where to stick her catty comments. "He'll have taken a new name. "

"It would make sense," Minerva said.

"He would keep Harry, otherwise he would get confused at some point and totally miss people calling his name," Severus mused. "But his surname would be different. It would be a reminder of someone he cared for but not an exact match. Definitely not anything related to Potter. So, either related to Black or Lupin."

"Your powers of deduction are amazing," Minerva beamed at him.

"Thank you. I do live to impress you, Minerva," Severus snarked. "Wolfe seems too obvious and I can think of nothing else that would correspond to Lupin's name, so that leaves Black. Black, but not Black. A translation would be too obvious, so not Noir or Negre." Severus paused for a moment to consider possible reconstructions of the name Black while changing only one or two letters. "Blake? Harry Blake?"

Minerva clapped her hands together. "Oh, Severus I have truly missed you. I'm so glad that you are alive!"

Severus cleared his throat gruffly. "Yes, well, I have an international portkey to try and arrange. I thank you for your assistance."

Severus rose, but Minerva stopped him before he could leave. "Please give Harry my love and tell him I will plan that visit for the summer holidays."

Severus rolled his eyes again and left. Great. Now he'd have to put up with her visit. Well, at least he had six months to come up with some excuse to be out of town.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry scratched between Sami's ears as she ate the tinned tuna Harry had just served her. Harry, himself was not hungry. His appetite, seemingly unending for the middle months of his pregnancy, had waned considerably in the last couple weeks.

"It won't be long now," Harry told the kitten. She was getting so much bigger that it was hard to remember just how small she used to be. "Luna said any day now, though Healer Haldipur still thinks it could be a couple weeks. I trust Luna's weird predictions more than I do the healer. Is that crazy?"

The kitten looked up at him and meowed as if to reassure him. "Thanks, I think."

Harry had spent Christmas with John and his son Nate before they left to visit his parents in Minnesota. It had been nice not to have to spend the day alone, but it still didn't compare to Christmas at the Burrow or even at Hogwarts. Harry shook those thoughts away and went to the stereo. He pulled up a playlist of muggle holiday songs and let that keep him company while he sorted through the things he needed to pack in his hospital bag. The birthing class he had taken had been extremely helpful, if a bit scary. He now knew exactly what to expect when he went into labor. And thanks to his friends in the Father's group, he knew what to expect after the baby was born as well.

One rule that everyone gave him was that no matter how prepared you are for parenting or childbirth, the reality will always surprise you. The trick is to deal with the minor crises as they arise and not worry too much about them until they do. Harry figured he was a master at thinking on his feet and facing the unexpected challenges in life, so he should be able to do this.

Of course, being confident of his ability to get through it didn't make it any easier to be doing it alone. The closer it got to his due date, the more Harry longed to have Severus with him. Though his grief was diminishing, it was still painful to think of the rest of his life without Severus in it.

Once his bag was packed, Harry felt a little better about just how close everything was getting. He had already informed the school that he would need to take the spring semester off because he was going to become a father. They had been understanding and had congratulated him, and then they reminded him that he would need to register for summer and fall classes in April. Harry knew what he wanted to do now, so he didn't think it would be a problem remembering. He would also need to see about getting someone to watch the baby when he went back to school, but he had almost six months before that happened.

Harry made a cup of hot cocoa and went out to the roof garden. A warming charm and the fire pit were all he needed to stay warm, but he didn't really want to be out there for long. The air smelled of snow and Harry was sure that there would be a few inches on the ground by morning.

He had just made his way back inside to the library to play on his computer for a while when the doorbell rang. Since the only people who ever rang his bell were delivery people and they were always announced by the security desk first, Harry had no idea who it could be. Before he could waddle his way over to the front door, the bell sounded again, impatiently.

"Keep your knickers on, I'm coming as fast as I can," Harry yelled through the door. When he finally reached the door and it swung open, his heart almost stopped beating.

"I believe you know from personal experience that I do not ever wear _knickers_," Severus drawled.

Harry just stood there and gaped before throwing himself bodily into Severus' arms. "Oh my god! I thought… But how?" He didn't actually give Severus time to answer him since he immediately latched onto Severus' lips and proceeded to snog the man breathless. "Fuck it! I don't care. I'm just so glad you're alive!"

"I've missed you my brat," Severus said and he pulled Harry tighter, noticing for the first time that his arms no longer reached easily around his lover. "It appears you have been putting on some weight?"

Harry laughed and steeped back so Severus could get a good look at him. Harry ran a hand over his swollen belly and smiled. "You could say that."

It was Severus' turn to look totally gob smacked. "I… you… We're having a baby?"

"Any day now according to Luna, though the healer says mid-January." Harry pulled Severus inside. "Come see. I want to show you everything. I want to tell you everything. So much has happened and… Merlin I've missed you, Sev."

Severus kissed his lover once again and held him tightly. "As I have missed you."

After much kissing, Harry showed Severus around the flat, including the nursery and the potions lab. (Severus had been impressed with the design of the lab space but had been confused as to why Harry had included some sort of muggle on the wall. Harry had explained how American wizards did almost everything by computer and there were thousands of potions books available electronically, so Harry had put in a large touch screen computer. Harry promised to show him how it worked later.) When he saw the rooftop garden, Severus smiled, knowing that this was one probably the reason Harry had purchased the flat. And when he saw the library with its mostly empty shelves, he began berating Harry for the waste.

"Well, you'll just have to bring all those dusty old tomes here from Spinners End," Harry said. "That's should just about fill up the shelves, right?"

Severus smirked. "Not quite. But once I add the books still at Hogwarts, I do believe we shall have a true library."

Harry sat on the sofa and sighed in contentment when Severus sat beside him and held him close. "Are you sure that you're okay uprooting and moving here? I mean, it's a lot to ask."

"I hate teaching," Severus said. "I would not go back to Hogwarts if Minerva begged, and she will never beg. I have no friends or family left in Britain aside from Minerva and the Malfoys. I can certainly do without seeing any of them on a daily basis. Minerva has already threatened to visit next summer, by the way."

Harry laughed. "I'm glad. Luna and Neville are going to come over the Easter hols as well. Luna wants to see the baby, though Neville doesn't know about him yet."

"Does Minerva?" Severus asked. "As she was playing guessing games in order not to tell me outright where you were hiding she gave no hint that you might be expecting."

"She doesn't know," Harry said. "Only Luna does, and only because she has some weird ability to read auras or something. I had a glamour on when I ran into her and she knew right away anyhow."

"I am not sorry to miss her last year of education," Severus said dryly.

"Tell me where you have been these past months," Harry said.

And so Severus one again related the tale of how he came to be at Malfoy Manor and how Narcissa and Draco's conversation about Harry had finally pulled him from the coma. "I believed you were dead and there was no reason to return," Severus admitted.

Harry sniffled a little. "I felt the same way when I walked to Voldemort and my certain death. I welcomed it because I knew you would be there waiting for me. But Dumbledore was waiting instead and he sent me back to finish the job. Turns out only part of me had to die, the part that belonged to him."

"Hence the missing scar," Severus said as he ran the back of his index finger over the place where the scar used to be.

"Exactly," Harry said. As he shifted, however, he winced with pain as the muscles in his abdomen and back tightened. "Ow."

"Are you okay?" Severus asked with concern.

"Fine," Harry said. "I think that might have been a contraction, though."

Severus' eyes widened. "Should we not get you to the hospital?"

Harry chuckled and nestled back into Severus' arms. "Not yet. We should wait and see if there are more and see how far apart they are."

"Are you sure?" Severus asked.

"Positive," Harry said. "I've been taking classes to get ready for this. Now tell me more about this guessing game McGonagall played to get you here?"

So for the next few minutes, Severus recounted his encounter with McGonagall while watching Harry for any signs of pain. Fourteen minutes later, Harry grimaced again and Severus stopped his story. "That was definitely another contraction."

"Yes, it was," Harry said. "Fourteen minutes. We'll wait for one more and then I'll call, okay?"

Severus looked clearly disgruntled but he settled back into the sofa and listened while Harry told him a little bit about his life since moving to New York. When the next contraction came, only twelve minutes had passed.

"They are getting closer together," Severus noted. His tone was even but tense.

"They are," Harry said. "On the hall table, beside my duffle bag and keys is my phone. Will you go get it for me?"

Severus was up and heading there before Harry even finished his sentence. "I do not see a phone."

"It's the flat rectangular black thing," Harry said.

Severus carried it over with a frown. "This does not look like a phone."

"It's a cell phone," Harry said. "A lot has changed since you lived in the muggle world. Hell, a lot has changed since _**I**_ lived in the muggle world."

Severus watched intently as Harry pressed a button then slid his finger across the screen that lit up. He pressed one of the small pictures, this one of a phone like he remembered a phone to look, and then used his finger to scroll through the names and numbers there before tapping the screen again.

"Hello, this is Harrison Blake calling for Healer Haldipur," Harry said into the device. Severus could hear that the person on the other end spoke but could not make out what they were saying. "Yes, the contractions are twelve minutes apart." Again the other person said something. "Yes, I have my partner with me. We'll meet her at the hospital."

Harry tapped the red bar and the call ended. Severus took the phone from Harry's hands and began pressing the small pictures and was amazed when new screens popped up. "This is what American wizards use to communicate?"

"And American muggles," Harry said. "The magical community here takes full advantage of the advances that the muggles have made in communications and technology. I'll show you more later; I have two other calls to make."

Harry called some person named John while Severus waited impatiently and then he called down to the security desk and asked them to have the doorman hail them a cab. Soon Severus was helping Harry from the sofa and ushering him towards the door.

"Grab the keys and my bag, will you?" Harry said as he continued to waddle towards the door.

Severus went back and grabbed the requested items and met Harry by the elevator in the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

Severus sat in the chair next to Harry's bed and tried to nap while Harry played with what looked to be a larger version of his phone. Harry called it an iPad. They had been at the hospital for four hours, the doctor had yet to arrive and Harry's contractions were still seven minutes apart and he was only dilated seven centimeters. It was after midnight and Severus had been up for close to 24 hours already. He was tired and getting cranky.

Finally, the healer strolled in. "Hey Harry."

"Healer Haldipur," Harry said with a smile. "Glad you could make it. I'd like you to meet my partner."

"Severus Snape," Severus said as he rose and nodded at the Indian woman.

"Nice to meet you," the healer said. "Well, Harry, let's have a look at you."

She proceeded to look Harry over and then wave her wand over him a few times. "Looks like this guy's ready to be out of there. Another couple hours and you should be ready to deliver."

"Another couple hours?" Severus asked.

"Possibly three," the healer shrugged. "Babies have their own timing. In the meantime, I suggest you both try and nap a little, gather as much rest as you can before the big event."

"No more computer?" Harry pouted.

"You'll have plenty of time to play while you recover," Healer Haldipur said. "Between bottles and diaper changes that is."

Harry chuckled. "Okay. Can you see about getting a rejuvenating potion for Severus before then, though? He just got in from Scotland today and jetlag is definitely starting to set in."

"Harry, I can speak for myself," Severus growled.

"But you won't," Harry said sweetly. "You would sit there and suffer and bemoan the fact that you didn't think to bring any of your own potions."

"That is because anything that I brew would be superior to whatever they might stock around here," Severus said haughtily.

"Of course it would be," Harry agreed, "but since you don't have any with you, you'll just have to make do since I refuse to have you pass out from exhaustion in the middle of the delivery."

"Wait, Severus Snape?" Healer Haldipur said. "The famous Potions Master?"

"You've heard of me?" Severus asked.

The healer chuckled. "We've been studying your potions in our medical schools here since the early 80's. I love when you write those scathing reviews in the potions journals. Those are priceless. And I daresay that whatever you brewed would be better, but Harry's right. He's going to need you for this."

Severus nodded and the healer left. Before Severus or Harry could settle in for a nap, however, a young man entered the room. He couldn't be more than five years older than Harry. He totally ignored Severus and went right for Harry and hugged the boy tightly.

"John, I told you that you didn't have to come," Harry said, but both Severus and John could tell that he was glad to see him.

"And I told you that you shouldn't have to go through this alone," John said.

"I'm not alone," Harry said and for the first time the blond man noticed Severus. "John, I'd like you to meet my partner Severus Snape."

John gaped at Severus and then turned back to Harry, "But I thought he was…"

"As one of you Americans said, 'The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'" Severus had a smirk on his face, and it was obvious that he didn't fully trust this young man who was still holding Harry's hand. John seemed to realize that he was doing so and immediately let go.

"Everyone thought Sev was dead," Harry said. "But he was just in a coma and his friends didn't think to tell anyone until after I was gone."

"Mostly because they didn't know about us and no one else would care if I had lived or died," Severus said.

"That is not true," Harry denied.

"You're right," Severus conceded wryly. "Many people would prefer that I had died. It is always a pleasure to disappoint them."

Harry laughed, and John let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "Well, I guess since you've got Severus here, you don't need me. I should get back to Nate before he wakes up. Our neighbor is watching him right now."

"Thanks for coming, John," Harry said.

"I'll be back tomorrow to see how you and the little guy are doing," John promised. He sent one last glance at Severus and then he left.

"He wants you," Severus stated mildly,

"John? No, we're just friends," Harry said.

Severus shook his head. "He wants you. The only reason he hasn't hit on you before now is that he was giving you time and space to grieve before he made his move."

Harry paused and thought about the dinners after group and spending Christmas with Nate. "Oh."

"Do not feel guilty," Severus said, knowing Harry already was. "I am sure you did nothing to lead him on. It is simply not your nature. And I am sure that if not tomorrow, then soon, he will return and he will have set his crush aside and will be more than happy to settle for friendship."

"Good," Harry said. "Because I like John, but I'm not sure I ever would have loved him like that even if you hadn't shown up. He's been a good friend. He was the healer at the clinic when I found out I was pregnant and he referred me to Healer Haldipur. He runs a new fathers support group that has been really invaluable. I'm not really sure what I would have done without him these past months."

"Then I shall refrain from hexing him for daring to covet what is mine," Severus said smugly and leaned over to kiss Harry.

Harry pushed him away. "Smug bastard."

"And you love me," Severus said.

Harry sobered, "More than life itself."

"As I love you, my brat."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Three hours later, the reunited couple was not being quite so affectionate towards each other.

"I swear to Merlin that if you ever lay a hand on me again, I'm going to hex your bloody bollocks off," Harry growled as he panted through another contraction.

"Come on Harry, it's time to push," Healer Haldipur said from between his knees. "On the next contraction, I want a big push, just like they taught you in birthing class."

"Fuck you too," Harry growled, but as the contraction hit he geared up and grunted with the effort of pushing his son through the birth canal that had temporarily formed for just this purpose.

"That's a good job," the healer said.

Harry leaned against Severus, sweaty and exhausted. "You know I love you and I missed you, but I'm serious. We are celibate from now on."

"Of course," Severus agreed, knowing full well that Harry was one of the horniest teens alive and would soon retract this demand.

"Fuck you," Harry growled as another contraction hit. He panted and grunted until the pain had passed and then went back to ranting. "I don't need your condescending attitude mister."

Severus kissed Harry gently and then whispered in his ear. "You are in pain and I'm going to forgive these outbursts because you are birthing our son, but I will remind you of this once it's all over and torment you when you beg me to fuck you."

Harry groaned and it wasn't from pain this time. "Merlin Severus."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry wasn't sure what was more beautiful, their son or Severus holding their son, looking at his tiny face with awe.

"I still can't believe we made this," Severus said quietly.

"I know," Harry said. "I'm so glad you were here for his birth."

"I will be here for everything the next time," Severus vowed.

Harry groaned. "Let's not even talk about the next time until I can move without feeling like my bits are going to fall off."

Severus leaned over and kissed Harry's forehead. "You are an amazing man. Have I told you how proud I am of you?"

Harry smiled. "Not in months and months," Harry said tiredly. "I could stand to hear it again."

"I am so proud of you," Severus said.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Now what are we going to name our son?"

"You can't tell me you haven't picked out something already," Severus smirked.

Harry flushed as he scooted down in the bed carefully. "Yeah, well, that was before I had your input."

"What were you going to name him?" Severus asked.

"Julius Evan Prince Potter-Snape," Harry said. "After both of our mothers and because I just like the name Julius. It gives him his own unique identity."

"Julius Evan Prince Potter-Snape," Severus said as he looked into the baby's eyes. "You like that name?" The baby cooed and Severus smiled at Harry. "I'd say that's a yes."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

At Hogwarts, Minerva was just getting ready to head down to the Great Hall for lunch when she heard a familiar ping. The Book of Names. There hadn't been many magical babies born in recent years due to the war. In fact it had been more than a month since the last name appeared. She expected that to change in the coming months as the results of weeks of celebrations began to be born. Purely out of curiosity, she turned back to the shelf where the book was kept and pulled it down. She turned to the proper page and found a new entry.

"Oh my," Minerva said with a smile. "Well, that is a surprise. I suppose I know what Luna was keeping to herself now."

"What is it Minnie," Albus' portrait asked from the wall, and she noted that there a number of other portraits listening as well.

"In eleven years and nine months, I will have the privilege of teaching one Julius Evan Prince… Potter-Snape."

Albus twinkled at her and she wondered momentarily if he portraitist had to use special paint to manage that effect. "Well, now that is something to celebrate. You will pass along my congratulations, won't you?"

"Yes, you old coot," Minerva said with a fond smile. She still had a few days before the children returned from holidays. Perhaps she should make a trip to New York.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Elsewhere in Great Britain, Luna and Neville were just finishing their lunch with Mrs. Longbottom when Luna turned to her boyfriend and said, "We need to go to New York."

"What? Now?" Neville asked.

Luna smiled. "Yes, now. He's arrived."

Much to Mrs. Longbottom's displeasure, the two young people took the floo to the international portkey center where they met up with Minerva McGonagall.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Severus had just settled in for a nap on the uncomfortable reclining chair in Harry's room when the door swung open and hushed voices reached his ears. Harry had just gotten Julius to sleep and it would only be a couple hours before he woke again wanting to be fed. Harry, however, had no qualms about waving the intruders into the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Harry asked with a tired smile.

"We came to see you and little Julius," Minerva said.

Neville shrugged. "I'm just here because Luna said I had to come. But I'm glad I did. Is this your son?"

"This is Julius Evan Prince Potter-Snape," Severus said with more than a hint of possessiveness in his voice.

"He's beautiful Harry," Luna said with a smile.

"Well, you have seen him, you can now leave," Severus snarked.

"Severus, behave," Minerva scolded.

Harry smiled at his friends. "Pay him no mind. He's just cranky 'cause he's been up all night."

"We have passed the 36 hour mark," Severus commented dryly. "By all means, let's see if we can reach 48 hours."

"I'm not sure I'm brave enough to see that," Neville muttered and Severus smirked evilly.

"Severus, why don't you go back to the apartment and rest?" Harry asked. "The mediwitch said that they are going to come take Julius in a little bit so that they can give him his vaccinations and they'll keep him in the nursery for a while so that I can get some rest."

"I shall stay until they come for Julius," Severus said and Harry knew better than to argue with that tone.

"Are you all staying the night?" Harry asked. "You can go back to the flat with Severus if you don't have a hotel yet."

"Harry…"

Harry glared at his partner. "Severus, you're going to be asleep. And there are two guest suites for them to use. If Neville and Luna do not wish to share a room, I'm sure that Minerva is more than capable of transfiguring an extra bed in the library."

Severus sighed. "Fine. But I refuse to play the gracious host. They are on their own for all meals and I will not be cleaning their dirty linens."

"We have a cleaning lady who does the linens," Harry said with a chuckle. "And there are plenty of places to eat around here. Or they can cook for themselves I'm sure."

"Brat," Severus grumbled and sat back in his chair.

"Well, I'm glad you're all here, anyway," Harry said. Though it was obvious he was tired, it was also obvious that he was being sincere. "We actually wanted to speak to all three of you. And you don't have to feel obligated to say yes or anything, but…"

"Just spit it out already," Severus snipped.

"You could ask," Harry said pointed out. "Then you wouldn't have to listen to me ramble."

"Fine," Severus said. "We would like you, Mr. Longbottom and you, Miss Lovegood, to be our children's godparents. And Minerva, we would like you to be his…" He turned to Harry. "You have to ask this. I still don't understand this term you are using."

Harry chuckled. "That's because I made it up. We want you to be his grand-godmother, his grandmother in spirit if not in blood."

"I would be honored," Minerva said with a smile.

"As would I," Luna said in her unique dreamy way.

"I… I… Are you sure you meant me?" Neville asked Severus.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I assure you Mr. Longbottom… Neville… that it was no mistake that we chose you. Not only have you proven time and again your loyalty and friendship to Harry, but you have also proved yourself to be a strong wizard who is not as inept as I would have believed given your results in potions."

Despite the insult, that was the biggest compliment any of them had heard Snape give anyone and Neville flushed with pride. "Thank you sir. I would be honored to be godfather to Julius."

"You should floo the Malfoys when you go home," Harry told Severus. "The fireplace in the library is connected to the network and I'm sure they would love the chance to congratulate you. And you need to tell them how grateful I am for bringing you back to me."

"You mean, that's how…?" Neville asked. Minerva had warned them that Severus was alive before they arrived, but hadn't given them any idea how that had been accomplished.

"Narcissa took me back to the manor and sustained me until I awoke from a coma just about a month ago," Severus agreed. "Then she, Lucius and Draco helped me recover my strength so that I could come look for Harry."

"They knew where you were going and still helped you?" Neville asked and then gulped as Snape glared at him.

"They are loyal to me the way you are loyal to Harry," Severus said. "Or at least Narcissa and Draco are."

"Lucius isn't loyal to anyone," Harry muttered.

"And yet you guaranteed his freedom following the final battle," Severus pointed out.

Harry flushed, "Yeah well, he's a selfish prat, but… he was punished by Voldemort more effectively than the Ministry ever could and he did a couple decent things in the end."

"And Draco?" Severus asked.

Harry shrugged. "He easier. He was only ever following Lucius' lead. And when it came right down to it, he couldn't kill Dumbledore. And then he kinda helped out when we got captured and taken to the Manor. Without him keeping his mouth shut, things could have gotten very ugly very fast."

"Instead you were able to help poor Mr. Olivander and me escape," Luna said softly.

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "I'm glad we did, too. Narcissa helped too, at the final battle."

"Mr. Blake?" the mediwitch said from the doorway. "I need to take Julius to the nursery for his vaccinations, and then we'll keep him for the night so you can rest."

"Just one moment," Severus said. He went to the bassinet and looked down upon his son as if memorizing his face. After a minute, he nodded and allowed the mediwitch to roll the bassinet out the door.

"I suppose we should head out and let you sleep for a few hours, Harry," Neville said.

"Get the all rest you can now, because it will be a while before you can sleep normally again once Julius comes home with you," Minerva advised.

Luna leaned over and gave her friend a hug. "We'll see you in the morning."

The three visitors stepped out into the hall to wait for Severus to say his goodnights. The potions master sighed. "I would prefer to stay here."

"But you won't sleep here," Harry said. "You'll spend all night jumping at every noise. Go home, sleep for a few hours and I'll probably still be sleeping when you get back in the morning. Please?"

Severus bent low to kiss Harry. "I will see you in the morning."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

Severus survived his evening with the visitors, mainly because he went straight to bed upon their arrival at the flat. He figured they could be nosey without him being there to supervise. He was up early the next morning and, being in a generous mood, ordered breakfast for all of them from one of the menus that Harry had in the kitchen drawer. Luckily, Harry had a phone that Severus understood better than that thing the boy had used the night he had arrived.

Once breakfast had arrived, it seemed the whole bunch woke up at once. Severus took the opportunity to use the floo in the library while they were otherwise occupied.

"Severus?" Narcissa Malfoy was the one to respond to the floo and Severus breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure he was up to dealing with Lucius this early in the morning.

"Narcissa," Severus said. "Good morning. Or afternoon, rather."

"Is everything alright?" Narcissa asked.

Severus smiled, surprising the witch who knew him as well almost anyone. "I thought I would let you know that Harry gave birth yesterday. I am a father." That still sounded foreign in his ears, but Severus thought he would like getting accustomed to it.

"Congratulations, Severus," Narcissa said in a rare genuinely happy moment. "I'm so very pleased for you. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," Severus said proudly. "Julius Evan Prince Potter-Snape."

"Julius," Narcissa said with a smile. "That is a fitting name for the son of Harry Potter and Severus Snape I suppose. When may we come to meet him?"

"Harry's healer wants to keep him a couple days so that he can heal," Severus said. "Apparently it takes time for his body to revert to its natural state and they like to make sure there aren't any complications before releasing a wizard who has given birth."

"Well, I will come tomorrow to visit, then," Narcissa said. "I do not know about Lucius or Draco. It depends upon their duties at the center."

"I understand," Severus said. "I will look forward to your visit."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The trio had a two o'clock portkey, so they left just after lunch and Harry and Severus had time alone with their son for a few hours. Harry and Severus both looked better for the full night of sleep and were in much better moods when the healer came in to check on Harry that afternoon.

After checking Harry over Healer Haldipur said, "I know it is none of my business, but are you planning on making New York your permanent home, Professor Snape?"

"Now that Harry and Julius are living here, that was my intention," Severus said absently as he held Julius and they exchanged looks that only the two of them could interpret. Harry wondered if Severus was employing legilimency on their son.

"The reason I ask is that I have a friend at the university who mentioned that they are looking for a replacement for one of their professors in the potions department," the healer said. "She's the head of the department and I'm sure that I could arrange an introduction. She studied your work just like the rest of us. All of their professors are given the opportunity to conduct research as well as teaching."

Harry and Severus exchanged a brief look. "That would be appreciated," Severus said.

"You have my contact information," Harry said. "Severus will be living with me for the time being and until I can get him technologically advanced enough to stop looking at my cell phone like it's an ashwinder, it'll be easier to reach him through me."

Healer Haldipur laughed. "I sometimes forget that the European communities are still so segregated from the muggle world. Just think of it this way, Professor: there is no soot to worry about with a cell phone and you aren't locked into a single place to make your calls. It's also a lot easier on one's knees and back."

"Indeed," Severus said. "I shall endeavor to enlighten myself."

Once they were alone again, Harry turned to Severus. "Is that something you would like to do?"

"Teach students who actually show some aptitude for the subject? Perhaps. But the research budget is tempting. And large universities like NYU also provide graduate teaching assistants who would take on the bulk of the tedious chores that go along with teaching."

"Sounds a lot better than Hogwarts," Harry conceded. "Though, we can afford to fund your research without teaching at all, if you would prefer."

"I shall consider that, but working for such a prestigious university would offer connections in the potions community that I could never make otherwise," Severus said as he handed Julius to Harry. "You never told me what you are studying there."

"I've decided to work towards two degrees," Harry said. "One muggle and one magical and both completely useless in the long run: fine art and transfigurations. I figure I'm not going to school because I need a job. I'm going because I want to learn something I enjoy learning. I want to be home most of the time with Julius, anyway."

"Hmm," Severus said noncommittally. "And why have you not petitioned for custody of the Lupin child?"

Harry frowned. "I was led to believe by a solicitor I consulted in London that any petition I made would be rejected based solely on my sexuality."

"Perhaps," Severus said. "Perhaps not. Things are changing in the wizarding world in Britain. And the fact that you are who you are may put you in good standing to change the precedent."

"You think I should fight for him?" Harry asked. "That would mean that there would be two babies in the house under a year old if we won."

"Indeed," Severus said and his face showed his momentary trepidation before he shook it off. "We can hire help if we feel the need. I thought you wanted several children."

"I did, I do," Harry said. "I just… I guess I didn't think you would want Remus' son living with us."

"Lupin was not my favorite person, but I have learned the hard way not to blame the child for the sins of the father," Severus admitted quietly. "And I would do just about anything to make you happy. Having the boy live with us would not be a hardship."

Harry was quiet for a minute. "We'll need an international custody lawyer to represent us."

"And it would look better if we were actually married and not just cohabiting," Severus added slyly. "Since that option is open to us in this country, it seems a shame not to take advantage."

Harry chuckled. "Is that your roundabout way of asking me to marry you?"

"No reason we shouldn't have the same name as our son," Severus said.

Harry laughed again. "Yes, Severus, I will marry you, but not for some custody hearing and not even for Jules. I'll marry you because I love you and I know that you love me."

"As long as I get my way," Severus teased. "The reasons for your compliance do not matter."

Harry reached over and grabbed Severus by the arm and pulled him in for a kiss. "You're a git."

"But you love me anyway," Severus said.

"Yeah."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The entire Malfoy family came to visit the next morning, and Harry could have smacked his fiancé for not warning him of their impending visit.

"Congratulations, Mr. Potter," Narcissa said.

"It's actually Blake around here," Harry corrected, "But thank you, Mrs. Malfoy, for your well wishes as well as for bringing Severus back to us."

Severus snorted. "If I can call Longbottom and Lovegood by their given names for your sake, I think you could call my friends by their first names as well."

"My apologies, Narcissa," Harry said a little awkwardly. "Draco, Lucius."

"Harry," Draco said a little sullenly. He cheered up once he caught sight of Julius, however. He looked at Severus. "May I hold him, Uncle Severus?" Harry rolled his eyes but nodded his consent to Severus who then handed the baby to Draco. "He has your cheeks and chin."

"And thankfully he has Harry's nose," Severus said.

The room was quiet for a moment and Harry felt the need to break the awkward silence. "Um, Lucius, Severus says that things are going well at the Muggle Integration Center?"

"As well as can be expected," Lucius said. "Preparing muggleborns and others who have been raised in the muggle world to enter wizarding society is trying at best. Dealing with parents who do not even attempt to understand our world is even more difficult. "

"I guess it would be," Harry said. "You should visit the wizarding districts around here. They seem to have found a way to merge the two worlds without revealing magic to the muggles. Even magical shops use muggle technology so I imagine that muggleborns and their parents wouldn't feel nearly as out of place."

"It's more difficult for _me_ to adapt than it would be for a muggleborns," Severus complained.

"And yet, you are learning," Harry said. He turned back to Draco and Lucius. "I've been teaching Severus how to use my cell phone and tablet computer."

Draco perked up at this and handed Julius off to his mother so he could watch the demonstration that Harry gave. For the next hour, Harry showed them the merits of technology and Severus was able to enjoy the fact that his fiancé was building at least the foundation of a friendship with his closest friends.

When Harry was finished, Draco turned to his father. "I want one of those."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Malfoys stayed the night at the flat with Severus and made plans to visit Pearson Square the next morning. Meanwhile, Harry and Julius were being discharged from the hospital. Harry was still a little sore, but he was happy to be going home. They took a taxi back to the flat and Severus ordered lunch from a local deli, and later that afternoon, the Malfoys arrived back.

"You have a beautiful home Harry," Narcissa said as she joined Harry in the living room.

"I had a lot of help," Harry said. "Rick, my decorator, was a godsend. I doubt I could have finished one room without him."

"I completely understand," Narcissa nodded. "I have never had to decorate more than one room at a time before, but after all the damage done to the manor during the war, I find myself at a loss as to how to get everything done. The renovations are almost complete, but I haven't even begun to decorate."

"Hire a decorator," Harry advised. "They make everything so much easier. All I had to do was point to my favorite when he showed me a selection of samples. He dealt with the contractors and shops and everything."

"Was this Rick a muggle?" Narcissa asked. When Harry nodded she sighed. "That's too bad. With all the magical artifacts around the manor, there's no way we could employ a muggle decorator."

"Rick decorated most of the flat, but I had a wizard in to do the nursery and the potions lab. I'm sure there must be a magical decorator in England," Harry said. "If not, I can connect you with the man I used. I found him in our yellow pages. You could take his information. I'm sure he would be willing to go over there if the price was right."

As soon as Harry sat down on the sofa with Julius, Sami was in his lap as well. She butted Harry's arm so that he would give her access to the baby. Once Harry had shifted, Sami curled up right next to Julius and began to purr.

"Who is this?" Narcissa asked.

"This is Sami, Julius' familiar," Harry told her. "I walked into the shop and she went right for my belly. She knew he was there even before I started showing. So I brought her home. She likes me, tolerates Severus, but adores Julius."

"I have never heard of a familiar bond being achieved so early," Narcissa said.

"The woman at the shop said she had seen something similar before, but not often," Harry shrugged. "All I know is that Julius likes having her around too. He was being fussy earlier and she came over to lay with him, just as she is now and he calmed right down and went to sleep."

"Amazing," Narcissa said.

Severus entered the room with Lucius and Draco trailing behind him. "Harry, I will put Julius down for his nap if you will show Draco and Lucius how to work that confounded device in the lab?"

"I can put him down," Narcissa offered. "Severus, it sounds as though you could use a lesson in how to use the muggle device as well."

Harry rose and handed his son to the blond woman. "Thank you Narcissa."

Harry led the three other men back to the lab and began their lesson. He had to admit that he had a slight advantage over the others since he had at least used a computer in his primary school, but still, Harry would think they would be able to at least turn the machine on.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** For those of you worried that I had forgotten about Teddy, you now know that I have not, in fact, forgotten him. We'll see a bit more about him in the next chapter, so be patient and all will be revealed! Jules


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Eight**

Lucius connected Harry and Severus up with an international wizarding law firm in France that he used for business. They had an international custody lawyer named Jean Marchand who was more than happy to take their case. After their initial interview with the man, he went back to France to study both the British and American custody laws. He did agree that being married would help their case tremendously.

While Harry began planning their wedding with the help of a wedding consultant, Severus began negotiating a contract with the Dean of Potions. They had her over for dinner one evening and Harry really liked her. Charlotte Cross was not only able to stand her ground with Severus, but best him intellectually now and again, something that he needed to keep from becoming too arrogant. And her sense of humor was as odd as Dumbledore's ever was. In fact, she reminded Harry of Dumbledore in many ways—minus the manipulations and outlandish robes.

When the dust settled after two weeks of negotiations, Severus had agreed to teach two undergraduate level courses and one graduate level course per semester with summers off for pure research. He would receive a generous budget for his research projects as well as two graduate teaching assistants and two graduate research assistants. His contract was for two years and could be renegotiated after that time if they both felt the arrangement was worth continuing. They signed the contract just in time for Severus to start teaching the spring semester which began at the end of January.

Their wedding was held the first Saturday in February. It was a small but elegant affair held in a magical wedding chapel in Pearson Square. The three Malfoys, Minerva McGonagall, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, John Albright and his son Nate, Charlotte Cross, Farida Haldipur and Julius Potter-Snape were the only guests. After the bonding, they went to one of Harry's favorite restaurants—rented for the evening—for a private dinner and dancing. It was perfect for the couple who valued their privacy.

The week after their wedding, Marchand contacted him. They had an appointment to make their case to the Wizengamot at the end of February. They would both need to be present for the hearing. Harry had taken the semester off, but Severus had to do some negotiating with Charlotte to get her to agree to give him the time off. Harry was sure that she would have given in, anyway, but he also thought she was pretty smart to get Severus to agree to take on two graduate students as their thesis advisor in exchange.

With that agreement and a substitute in place for Severus' classes, the two men bundled Julius up and headed for the international portkey terminal at JFK airport two days before the hearing. Of course, when they arrived at Heathrow, the press was waiting for them. Having learned of the case from the public records, they had staked out the terminal en masse. Harry shielded Julius while Severus glared down anyone who attempted to approach them. In this manner, they were able to get through the throng and made it to the apparition point. They had been invited to stay at Hogwarts by Minerva, since the security there was better than any of the hotels, wizarding o muggle, and they made the long trek up from the gates to the front doors of the castle.

"So good to see you my boys," Minerva said with a genuinely fond smile for each of them. "If you'll come with me, I'll show you to the guest quarters where you will be staying." She took Julius from Harry's arms, like any grandmother would do, and talked silly to him the entire way to the guest quarters. Harry smiled at the interaction while Severus rolled his eyes and grumped about the headmistress trying to turn their son's brain to useless mush.

They had dinner in the headmistress' office, and Neville and Luna were invited for the event. Once again, Severus felt outnumbered by Gryffindors (and one Ravenclaw). The next morning, the Malfoys came and it was Harry's turn to feel outnumbered by Slytherins. But neither meeting was as bad as it might have been. In fact, Severus found that Longbottom could actually carry on a decent conversation about magical plants and Harry was happy to get an update on how the Malfoy men were beginning to introduce some of the muggle technology to the Muggle Integration Center.

Harry and Severus spent most of the afternoon and evening with Marchand, going over the case and what they would face once in front of the Wizengamot.

That evening, once Julius was down, Harry turned to Severus. "I'm nervous."

"About the hearing?" Severus asked as he wrapped his arms around his husband.

Harry shook his head. "No. I know that Marchand is going to do everything he can to win. And I'm trying not to get my hopes up about winning. No, I'm nervous about seeing the Weasleys and Hermione. You heard Marchand. They've been summoned to testify."

"They will be there, but they only have the power to hurt you if you give them that power," Severus said. "They are unworthy of you. I will be there. Julius will be there. The Malfoys, Minerva, Neville and Luna will all be there to support you. Lean upon us and ignore them. And when you cannot, remember that they may have been idiotic enough to miss how wonderful you are, but others are smarter than they are."

Harry chuckled and kissed his husband. "Have I told you lately how happy I am that you aren't dead?"

"Have I told you how happy I am that _you_ aren't dead?" Severus countered.

Harry heaved himself from the sofa. "Let's take this mutual admiration society to the bedroom where we can spend some time doing some hands on admiring."

"Sounds like a plan, my brat," Severus said as he joined his husband. Together they walked hand in hand into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry did as Severus had suggested when they walked into the courtroom the next day. It was the same room Harry had faced the Wizengamot before his fifth year and the same room where he had testified on behalf of the Malfoys after the final battle. The set up was a little different this time, however. Rather than a chair with shackles in the center of the floor, there were two tables set up with chairs behind them facing the Wizengamot. Andromeda was already seated beside her solicitor, though Teddy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Teddy?" Harry asked Marchand once they reached their table.

"The child in question at a custody hearing is always taken into custody by the Ministry so that if the hearing does not go favorably for the party with current custody, they cannot abscond with the child," Marchand explained. "Teddy is being cared for by a very nice witch who works in the Children's Services Department. He will stay with her until this matter is decided."

"Oh," Harry said. "I guess that's… do people really run off with the kids if they lose the case?"

"It has happened," Marchand said. "Which is why the Wizengamot put this arrangement into place fifty years ago."

Harry and Severus took their seats at the table and Severus busied himself by doing that staring thing with Julius again—Harry still hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask if he was using legilimency—while Harry took a look around the courtroom. Just as Severus had predicted, all of their friends were there and they gave Harry smiles when their eyes met. There were also any number of reporters and photographers there.

And then the chaos of the Weasley clan arrived through the doors. Harry couldn't understand how they could be so loud and overbearing. When he was a kid, their antics had bothered him, but he hadn't felt he had a right to complain since they were being kind to him. But now, Harry was realizing that the loud bickering, the twins' hurtful pranks, and Mrs. Weasleys smothering bossiness were not what he wanted from a family.

Harry looked back to his and Severus' friends. They were an odd bunch, but they were more what Harry thought a family should be like. There was sometimes tension between the "in-laws" but there was also affection and support when it was needed. Harry didn't fear that Minerva would try to run his life or that Draco or Neville would blow up his most prized possession if he angered them. And most of all, they accepted Harry for who he was and didn't try to turn him into who they wanted him to be.

When Harry turned back around, Severus was watching him. "Alright?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "I just realize how lucky I am to have a family like the one we have made together."

Severus looked at the Weasleys and then at the Malfoys, Minerva, Neville and Luna. "I see your point."

The courtroom was beginning to settle down as the time for the hearing approached. Even the Wizengamot had taken their seats and the room got quiet. The door to the courtroom opened one last time and Harry peeked over his shoulder to notice a very sad and lonely looking Hermione enter the room and take a seat in the last row. She looked to be a mess, and Harry felt a pang of pity for the girl. Maybe he would have to make a point of talking to her after the hearing.

The hearing began and Harry sort of tuned out the opening remarks since they were mostly stuff he already knew. Instead he took Julius from Severus when the baby began to fuss and grabbed a bottle of formula to feed him. When Harry looked up again, he noticed that most of the Wizengamot was looking at him.

"Mr. Potter…" This came from Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry had almost forgotten that he was the Minister of Magic these days. "It is not the usual practice to have infants present for a hearing before the Wizengamot." Harry noted that the man's eyes weren't disapproving. In fact, he seemed a bit amused.

"I apologize, Minister Shacklebolt," Harry said. "But the only people in Britain who I would trust to look after Julius are in the courtroom today. I rather thought it would be better to bring him than to miss the hearing myself."

"Indeed," Shacklebolt said and this time Harry knew for sure that he was amused.

"Oh, and the name is Potter-Snape," Harry corrected. "Or Snape if the hyphenation is too cumbersome."

Shacklebolt had a difficult time holding back his chuckles, and some of those present didn't bother. "Thank you, Mr. Snape."

"Or you could, you know, just call me Harry," Harry offered.

"Can we get on with this?" the solicitor for Andromeda snarked.

Kingsley frowned at him but nodded. "Certainly Mr. Greenshank. You may proceed."

"I would like to call Harry Potter…Snape to testify."

Harry shrugged but handed Julius over to Severus. The baby whimpered a bit when the bottle was dislodged, but settled down soon enough. Harry walked to the front and faced the solicitor.

"Mr. Snape, are you in fact homosexual?" Greenshank asked.

Harry smirked at him. "Well, since I'm married to Severus and have a child with him, that would probably indicate that I am."

There were snickers from both the Wizengamot and the spectators, which only pissed the solicitor off. "Mr. Snape, I would like a direct answer to a direct question."

"A direct answer?" Harry asked innocently. "I can do that. Yes, I am a homosexual. I prefer my own gender when it comes to matters of a romantic or sexual nature. Is that all you wanted to know?"

Greenshank ignored him and Andromeda looked smug from her seat. The solicitor turned to address Kingsley. "I submit that as the plaintiff has openly admitted to homosexuality that this case be dismissed. The law states that—"

"I know what the law states," Kinglsey interrupted. "The point of this hearing, in case you missed the memo, is to decide whether that law is just. We will hear the full arguments from both sides before this esteemed body makes a decision." Greenshank turned red in the face, but Kinglsey went on, "Now, do you have other witnesses to call?"

"I do, but…"

"But they are redundant now that Mr. Snape has admitted to being homosexual," Kingsley finished for him. "Fine. Mr. Marchand?"

"While Harry is already standing, I'll begin with him," Marchand said. He stood and walked over to take Greenshank's place. "Harry, what is your relationship to the child in question?"

"Teddy?" Harry asked. "He's my godson. Remus and Tonks named me godfather right after he was born. About a week before the final battle."

"Why are you seeking custody of Teddy?" Marchand asked.

"For a few reasons," Harry said. "First of all, because that is what Remus and Tonks wanted. They named me godfather for a reason and I feel like I should respect that decision."

"What is you other reason?"

Harry paused and considered how he should say this next bit. "When my parents died, I wasn't able to go live with my own godfather. I understand that most of the world thought he was responsible for my parents' deaths, but even once it became known in certain circles that he was innocent, he and I were still kept apart. I hated that.

"Instead, I was sent to live with my mother's muggle family," Harry said. "They hated magic and they hated me. I grew up in a home where I was treated worse than a house elf. I would never want Teddy to feel like he was anything but loved for who and what he is."

"Why would you fear that Teddy would not be loved as he should?" Marchand asked.

Again Harry paused to consider the question. "I've never been allowed to spend time with Teddy since Remus and Tonks were killed, so I've not seen the direct interactions between Teddy and Andromeda. But I was witness to the way she treated Remus. And Remus told me on more than one occasion that Andromeda was both fearful of his Lycanthropy and resentful that Remus had married Tonks and gotten her pregnant. He always had a way of downplaying things. She was never even civil to Remus, let alone kind. I fear for Teddy because in my experience, it is difficult to separate the hatred for the parent from the child."

"Difficult or impossible," Marchand asked.

"Difficult," Harry said with a smile. "For years, Severus hated me for the way my father and his friends treated him. It was only after teaching me occlumency and being forced to see the sort of life I had led that Severus began to see me for me and not my father. Even Sirius had difficulty separating me from the memories of my father, though it was in a different way since he loved my dad."

"And you believe that Andromeda will take out her dislike for Remus Lupin on his son?" Marchand asked.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know if she will or won't. But the fact that she will not allow me to see him, to spend time with him, concerns me. I cannot know for sure how she is treating him if I cannot see him. I can't know if he is being abused or neglected. No one ever bothered to check up on me while I was growing up. I refuse to have the same be said of Teddy."

"You and Severus already have a son," Marchand said. "How will you provide care for another baby not yet a year old?"

Harry laughed at that. "Well, I'm not exactly poor. Severus and I have already discussed how we'll handle things. He's teaching at NYU and I'm taking University courses part time, so we'll hire a nanny for the times we aren't available, but mostly, I'll be caring for Julius, and Teddy if we get custody. It will be a lot of work, I know that, but I've always wanted a family to love and Teddy would never want for anything, materially or emotionally."

"What about Severus?" Marchand asked.

Harry looked over to Severus and most of the court did the same. He was currently doing that staring thing again but he had a small smile on his face. When the silence around him penetrated, he looked up and saw he was being observed and scowled.

Harry chuckled. "Severus is a great father. He's very protective and he loves Julius. He was the one who pushed for me to force the issue with Teddy. Not because I didn't want Teddy, but because I had been told that there was no way I could get custody. Severus wants Teddy as much as I do."

"Thank you Harry."

Marchand looked to Greenshank. Harry knew from the briefing last night that the other solicitor had the chance to question him again, and then Marchand would have a final opportunity.

Greenshank stood and straightened his robes. "Mr. Potter…Snape. You have admitted that you have never seen Mrs. Tonks interact with her grandchild."

"I did," Harry shrugged.

"So you have no real reason to believe that she would mistreat Theodore?"

"I've stated my reasons for believing she might," Harry said. "But in the end, even if she is the perfect grandmother, that does not change the fact that Remus and Tonks asked for me to be his godfather. They wanted me to raise him if anything ever happened to them."

"They could not have known that they would both die in such a short period of time," Greenshank said. "Perhaps it was only an honorary title bestowed upon a hero."

Harry shook his head sadly at that. "Right. In case you have forgotten, in the last days of the war, everyone knew that they could die at any time. We all lived with death looming over us. Those of us in the thick of it, like Remus and Tonks were, felt that reality even more deeply. I'm sure they hoped that they would not die and leave their son behind, but I also know that they were prepared to die for the cause.

"As for that hero nonsense," Harry said, "I was never a hero to Tonks or Remus. Remus was the closest thing to a father figure I had. He was around more than Sirius ever could be and he was more… steady. He taught me things about magic and about life. And Remus was the one person who only ever loved me for me. Severus does now, but he didn't always. As for Tonks, she was… like an older cousin of sorts. She loved to tease me, sometimes about my hair or about being my step-mum. We were friends. I know they respected and loved me just as I loved them."

Greenshank looked disgruntled, but he sat back down and Marchand took his final turn.

"Did Remus and Tonks know of your preference for men?" Marchand asked.

"Remus was the first person I told," Harry admitted. "It was Christmas of my fifth year and Sirius was teasing me because some girl at school kissed me. I knew that he wanted me to brag about my conquest or something, but I also knew that I didn't like girls, so I left to go hide in my room. Remus came to talk to me. I told him and he assured me that there was nothing to be afraid of from Sirius. He said that he and Sirius loved me no matter what. He never said so, but I got the impression that… Well, it was just a feeling. Anyway, he was right. I told Sirius the next day and he was totally supportive. They warned me that not everyone would be, but I never thought that the bigotry was as widespread as it turned out to be."

Marchand decided not to press that issue and let Harry retake his seat.

"I would like to call Andromeda Tonks to the stand."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part Nine**

Harry watched intently as Andromeda stood across from Marchand and answered a few basic questions before Marchand got to the good stuff.

"Mrs. Tonks, it has been suggested that you harbored negative feelings for your son-in-law, Remus Lupin," Marchand said. "I am interested to hear your side of the story."

"Lupin was a werewolf," Andromeda said. "He didn't deserve civility. If I hadn't loved my daughter as much as I did, I never would have spoken a word to the creature."

Marchand looked a bit taken aback by the blatantly rancorous response. "So you admit that your relationship was not a good one."

"I despised the man for dragging my daughter into that unholy union," Andromeda hissed. "Not only was he a werewolf, but he was a faggot as well. I knew about his relationship with my cousin. But he wasn't satisfied with dragging one good person to his level. When Sirius died, he dragged my daughter down as well."

"By all accounts, it was Nymphadora Tonks who pursued Remus," Marchand said. "I can bring in witnesses to testify to that fact."

Andromeda shrugged. "She was led astray."

Marchand shook his head at that. "Has Teddy shown any signs of Lycanthropy?"

"He gets a bit cranky around the full moon," Andromeda said.

"And how do you handle when that happens?" Marchand asked.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't beat him."

"What do you do?" Marchand asked.

"Nothing," Andromeda said. "I let him get it out of his system."

"What does that mean?" Kinglsey asked from his raised position, interrupting the testimony for the first time.

Andromeda looked at him. "It means I'm not going to coddle that side of the boy. He will learn how to control that awful part of himself. If I coddled him, he would just think it was okay to let the behavior continue."

"So you leave him to cry when the full moon is out?" Kinglsey clarified.

Andromeda nodded. "He get's his bottle, but I won't hold him if he's acting like that."

Harry squeezed Severus' hand. This was what he had been afraid of. Emotional abuse and neglect were as bad as a beating; Harry knew this from experience.

"And what would you do if at some point in the future Teddy's mild response to the moon became more severe?" Marchand asked.

"If he became a werewolf you mean?" Andromeda asked snidely. "I'd send him to one of the villages for his kind."

Harry was sure that she thought that was a good thing, but he knew from Remus that those villages were awful places. There was never enough food because no one could hold a job. The Ministry barely gave them enough support to keep them alive. Disease and crime ran rampant as people despaired of ever knowing a better life. Remus believed that the reason Fenrir Greyback had flourished and had so many followers was a direct result of those villages.

"To a werewolf village, not his godfather?" Marchand asked.

"He's a faggot," Andromeda said. "And he stole my inheritance."

Harry snorted. He'd done no such thing. Andromeda had been disowned long before Harry had even been born. Marchand knew this as well and pointed it out.

"Yes well, Sirius should have left his estate to me," Andromeda said. "I am a Black, and that boy is not."

"Did Sirius leave you anything?" Marchand asked, already knowing the answer.

"50,000 galleons," Andromeda said. "He left the same to Nymphadora. But he left the wolf twice that and the boy got millions. He didn't need it. He already had the Potter vaults."

"I have no further questions," Marchand said.

Greenshank tried to make Andromeda look better with his questions but failed miserably. There was nothing that could change the fact that she looked like a cold petty woman more concerned with galleons than emotion.

Marchand called a few other people up to the stand, like Minerva and Narcissa, to testify to Harry and Severus' ability to parent and to testify about Andromeda as Narcissa was her sister and Minerva had known her for years. Then Marchand called a series of healers and researchers who testified that homosexuality was a natural physiological state, not a disease or abomination. They testified that there was no correlation between a homosexual parent and abuse of any kind. Then he called in experts in werewolves and a few werewolves to testify about Lycanthropy and the conditions in the werewolf villages.

Finally, Marchand called Severus to the stand.

"Severus," Marchand said. Harry grinned as Severus winced. He hated being addressed so informally in front of the masses, but Marchand said it was necessary to make him seem more approachable. That was the very reason Severus disliked the idea, but he allowed it for Teddy and Harry's sake. "We've heard how Harry feels about Teddy, but it is well known that you were not friends with Remus Lupin or Nymphadora Tonks. Why do you want to raise Teddy?"

Severus looked at Marchand with a blank face which was as close to friendly as he got with anyone but Harry or his closest friends. "I was not close friends with Lupin. However, our work for the Order of the Phoenix often brought us into close contact. Over the years, we set aside past differences and developed a mutual respect. I carried no animosity for him before he died and do not feel any animosity for him now. He was a good man who sacrificed everything to provide a safer place for his child.

"As for Nymphadora, she was an abysmal potions student," Severus said and many in the room chuckled. "She was also a skilled Auror and an honorable woman. Again, I have no reason to harbor any ill will towards her. Even if I despised them both, however, it would not change how I feel about raising Teddy Lupin. I learned through my mistakes with Harry that a child is not his or her parents and can not be held accountable for their actions.

"Like Harry, I did not have an ideal childhood. I will not bemoan my life but I will say that the experience was enough to make me want to protect any child from suffering the same." Snape paused. "I never believed that I would make a good father, but Harry and Julius seemed to believe that I am doing okay so far. I do know that no child in my care will ever experience the abuse or neglect that I or my husband did."

"Thank you," Marchand said and stepped down.

"You were a Death Eater," Greenshank said.

"I was," Severus agreed mildly. "I was also a spy for 18 years."

"You killed Albus Dumbledore," Greenshank shot back.

"Upon his orders," Severus said. "I believe that my position and motives were all made public record after the final battle."

"During, actually," Kingsley snorted. "I recall Harry shouting something to the old bastard about you fooling him for so long. Really pissed him off, too."

There were chuckles around the room and Severus looked at his husband. "I want the whole story later, brat."

"Sure thing," Harry said with a smile.

"Why should we trust his word," Greenshank said. "After all, he is a bit biased in your favor."

"We are not here to try Severus Snape," Kingsley scolded. "And if Harry Potter-Snape's word isn't good enough for you, the signed documents in Albus Dumbledore's own hand and the numerous pensieve memories from that august wizard's own mind should be. Move on Mr. Greenshank."

"You hate children," Greenshank said.

"I do not," Severus said. "Nor do I hate teaching. I despise teaching imbeciles who do not wish to learn. That is why I am now teaching at the University level. It suits me better. But I do not now, nor have I ever hated children. I love my godson and have done so since his birth. I love my son. I will love Teddy if he becomes a part of our family. I may believe that most of society is made up of idiots unworthy of my time or respect, but that does not mean I do not love my family, or that I do not care for my friends."

Greenshank sat down with a huff and tried to regroup while Marchand stood back up. "Severus, what would you do if at some point in the future Teddy Lupin's mild response to the moon became more severe? If he became a werewolf?"

"I would brew the Wolfsbane potion for him," Severus said. "And I would find a way to make sure that both he and the rest of my family were safe on the nights of the full moon. Harry has already decided to study to become an Animagus; I would likely make that attempt as well."

"Thank you," Marchand said.

Severus stepped down and only one witness was left on Marchand's list to be called. "I call Hermione Granger to testify."

All eyes turned toward the witch at the back of the room as she slowly rose and made her way to the front. As she passed the row of Weasleys, Harry saw Ron lean forward and hiss something to her which made her flinch, but he couldn't hear what it was.

"Miss Granger, you came to me and asked if you could testify on Harry and Severus' behalf," Marchand said. "Why is that?"

Hermione cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "More so on Harry's behalf than Professor Snape's. I don't… I don't really know him well enough to be a character witness or anything. I mean, I know what you all know. He served as a spy and he was a good guy, but he was also pretty rude and mean in classes."

"What did you wish to say for Harry's sake, then?" Marchand corrected himself.

"People think they know Harry because they read about him in the papers or the history books," Hermione said. "They know the hype, but they don't know him. If you really know Harry then you know that he has a bad temper when you piss him off, but he's also fiercely loyal. He's not had a lot of affection or love in his life, so he tends to be drawn to those who will give love and affection freely, even if he disagrees with some of the things they say or do.

"That's how he ended up friends with Ron," Hermione said. "He was nice to Harry and Harry latched on to that kindness. Even when Ron would be jealous over Harry's fame—which Harry hated by the way—Harry forgave him. When Ron turned on him and believed the bad press instead of his friend, Harry forgave him. Harry forgave him too much."

There was a squawk of indignation from the spectators, but it was quickly hushed.

"Ron was never able to see past Harry's name," Hermione said. "But I did. I knew that he hated being held up as a hero for some accident of fate that saved him as a baby. He hated the pressure that Dumbledore and the rest of the world put on him to save us all from Voldemort. All Harry ever wanted was to have a family who loved him and to live a normal life away from the spotlight."

Hermione looked at Harry for the first time. "I know for a fact that Harry is a wonderful father. Not because I've seen it with my own eyes—I was stupid and let Ron and his family dictate my choices and gave up that right—but I know it because Harry loves deeply and would do anything for his child. Harry will give any child in his care the all love he never got growing up. He will protect them with his life, just as he did for the wizarding world. Harry gave up everything to save us. I don't care who he sleeps with at night; there is no way that anyone deserves happiness more than he does. And there is no better home for Teddy Lupin than with Harry."

Greenshank didn't seem to have anything to ask of the witch, and so Hermione's words were still echoing in the minds of everyone in the courtroom when Kingsley asked everyone to leave so the Wizengamot could deliberate.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part Ten**

Harry left Severus talking with Narcissa and Lucius and took Julius over to where Hermione was huddled in a corner of the hall, trying to look as unassuming as possible. Before he could reach her, however, Ron got to her.

"You had no right to say those things about me in there," Ron snarled. "I'm glad I dumped you. I can't believe that you would speak up for that unnatural freak that way!"

"He's not unnatural," Hermione hissed and Harry saw the first real signs of life in her since she had entered the courtroom. "Harry's a good and decent person and he was always a good friend to us. We're the prats who threw that away! And you didn't dump me, I dumped you. And I'm glad I did. You, Ron Weasley, are a horrid, despicable person and I'm glad we're over. Now get the hell away from me before I hex you!"

Harry hadn't noticed Hermione pulling her wand and it was obvious that Ron hadn't either because when he did see it pointing at his chest he backed away from the irate witch in a hurry. Harry chuckled as he finished the journey to where she was once again standing alone.

"Hey."

Hermione looked at Harry with surprise. "Harry? I god, I'm so sorry!" Before Harry could say anything, Hermione was hugging him and sobbing into his shoulder. He patted her back and made sure that Julius wasn't being smothered, but otherwise remained still until Hermione let him go. "I was an awful friend and I'm so sorry. I never wanted to do that to you, but…"

"But it was him or me," Harry said sadly. "I know. And I don't really blame you. I just…"

"I hurt you," Hermione said. "I know. I swear, if I had a time-turner right now I would go back and do it all differently, but… God, Harry. I'm just so sorry."

Harry took a deep breath and did what he knew he was going to do the moment he saw her enter the courtroom looking so tragic. "I forgive you. Just… try not to do something like that again. It hurts… and it gets harder to forgive every time someone hurts me."

Hermione was sobbing again but this time it was Harry who embraced her. They stood holding each other for a long time before Julius began to get fussy and Harry stepped back.

"Hey little man, what's the fuss?" Harry asked his son. Julius just hiccoughed and stared at him with wide wet eyes.

"He's beautiful Harry," Hermione said.

"Severus says it's because he didn't get his nose, but I think he would be beautiful no matter what his nose looked like," Harry said. "You want to hold him?"

Hermione now looked nervous. "Are you sure? I mean, Professor Snape…"

Harry chuckled and handed the baby over before she could protest further. "Severus is loosening up. He even calls Neville and Luna by their first names and doesn't scowl too much when they do the same."

Hermione was shocked, but she was too preoccupied with staring down at the baby in her arms to show it. He really was quite beautiful. He had Harry's green eyes, though they were just a shade darker. His hair was a silky black cap that looked like it would be somewhere between Harry's mop and Snape's finer hair. He had high cheekbones like Snape and long dark lashes and she could tell that this little guy was going to be a heartbreaker someday.

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's go talk with Luna and Neville."

Hermione looked a little reluctant, unsure of her welcome, but she let Harry lead her across the crowded hall. Luna and Neville both smiled at her and she felt a little better. "Hi guys."

For then next hour, Hermione caught up with her friends and began to fell a little better about herself and her life.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The doors to the courtroom opened again an hour and a half after they had closed behind the last spectator and everyone in the hall began filing back inside and took their seats; Hermione was now sitting between Minerva and Luna and looked happier for their acceptance. Harry took his seat and grabbed Severus' hand nervously.

Once everyone was settled Kingsley spoke. "This hearing is much more than a simple custody case. The unique nature of the case has brought up a number of issues that the wizarding world has willfully ignored for far too long. This case has been an opportunity to open the discussion on how we treat our fellow sentient beings.

"We have just survived a war that had its basis in prejudice and bigotry," Kingsley continued. "The fact that we have rid ourselves of one form of bigotry only to embrace others is a sad fact. We, the Wizengamot and the Ministry, will be looking into the conditions of werewolves in the coming days. In an age where Wolfsbane potion is readily available, there is no excuse for the continued mistreatment of people who have simply been afflicted with a treatable disease.

"We will also be examining the laws which limit the rights of homosexuals. The rest of the world has moved beyond these prejudices. Every magical government in the world save Britain, Romania and China now recognize same sex marriage as the norm, and have given equal rights to all witches and wizards no matter what their sexuality.

"Somewhere along the line, our community fell behind," Kingsley said ruefully. "We missed the changes which other societies made over the last fifty years. Perhaps it was because we spent so much time at war. Perhaps there are other underlying causes. Whatever the case, it is time that Britain takes its rightful place as a leader of nations. We need to reexamine our motives if those motives are blocking us from progressing.

"We fought a war to prevent discrimination against muggles and muggleborns, and yet we look down our noses at the technological advances they have made that could be adapted and used to make our world better. I have spent time in America speaking with their Wizard in Chief. American wizards have incorporated muggle technology into every aspect of their lives. They have found ways to help their werewolf populations through Native American magic. They are thinking outside the box in which we have locked ourselves.

"Having said all that, this is not the time or place for political speeches," Kingsley said wryly. "Because while these issues have been a part of this hearing, first and foremost it is about the best interests of a child."

Kingsley paused and looked around the room. "The law states that the godfather of a child will have the right to raise that child in the case of the parents' deaths unless he is proved unfit for the responsibility. The other law states that homosexuality is, like lycanthropy, a disease that will endanger a child and therefore grounds to block custody. It has been argued today that the second law is complete bunk.

"With that in mind, this august body has weighed the relevant facts of this case and discarded those we deemed irrelevant," Kinglsey said. "Fact, Harry Potter-Snape is Teddy Lupin's godfather. Fact, he has proven himself a good friend and a good father to his own son. Fact, he has the will and means to care for Teddy Lupin and bring him up in a happy and healthy home. Given those facts, we have made our decision.

"As per tradition, I will call on those present to show their vote publicly. All those in favor of awarding custody of Teddy Lupin to Harry Potter-Snape and Professor Severus Potter-Snape?" Almost every single hand in the Wizengamot was raised. "All those opposed?" Only three hands rose this time. Harry noted that they were the oldest and crankiest looking of the bunch.

There were excited whispers and a few harsh expletives that came from the spectators. And Andromeda's scowl was enough to flay a man alive, but Harry was too happy to care about anyone else.

But Kingsley wasn't finished. "I have just one last point to make. For those of you who believe that this decision had everything to do with who Harry is: we did not make this decision as a reward for the boy who saved us all from the Dark Lord Voldemort. But… the fact that according to our current laws our savior has fewer rights than a released convict from Azkaban says something about us as a society. And that is something I mean to see changed.

"The decision of this court is final," Kingsley intoned. "Let this decision stand as precedent for future cases until such time as we can revise those outdated laws and bring our nation into a more enlightened age."

He banged the gavel and the court erupted with noise. Harry hugged Severus so tightly that he wasn't sure he could ever let go. They had won. And not only that, they had been the catalyst for change. Werewolf rights would be reexamined and hopefully they would be improved. It would be quite the legacy for Remus and Harry wondered if the crafty wolf hadn't had this posibility in the back of his mind when he named Harry as Teddy's guardian.

"Mr. Potter-Snape?" Harry looked up to find a kindly looking witch standing beside them holding a baby. Teddy. "Mrs. Tonks has had her chance to say her goodbyes, so he's all yours." She handed Teddy to Harry and the baby looked at him warily. He was a lot bigger than the last time Harry had seen him and his eyes had changed from the hazy blue of all newborn babies to a light hazel that reminded Harry so much of Remus it brought a lump to his throat. He was nervously sucking on his fist and blinking at Harry' owlishly.

"Hey Teddy," Harry said gently. "I'm Harry. I'm gonna be your dad now."

"Da da da da," Teddy babbled and placed a hand wet with his saliva onto Harry's cheek.

Harry laughed. "That's right. Dada."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

They stayed in Britain for two more days, settling all the paperwork and finally packing up the rest of Severus' belongings to ship back to New York before catching a portkey. During those two days, Harry spent a lot of time with Hermione discovering that things were not going well for the witch. Not just because of the breakup with Ron either.

Hermione had taken a job at the Ministry, but felt totally stifled and unchallenged. Her supervisor thought she was an unmitigated know-it-all and gave her all the busy work in the department. Her parents, when she had gone back to Australia to remove the memory charm, had decided that they preferred their life there and had not returned to England, leaving her completely alone in the world.

"So move to New York," Harry told her. "Take classes at NYU with me and figure out what you want to do with your life. I'll help you with tuition and stuff if your folks can't or won't. Consider it a war hero's scholarship. You can even stay with us until you get on your feet."

Severus had glared at Harry for a moment, but quickly relented when Harry glared right back at him. "Yes, Miss Granger. Hermione. You would be welcome to stay with us until you got settled."

"I _would_ like to go back to school," Hermione waffled.

"Then do it," Harry said. "And you would already have at least one friend in the city. And I bet you'd make tons more friends. University is a lot different than Hogwarts. The other students are mostly there to learn, though some are there to party. It's pretty easy to spot the difference and steer clear of that sort. And the classes are all really interesting."

"Just do us both a favor and avoid my classes," Snape said dryly.

"Not to worry sir," Hermione said. "I think I might study for a legal degree. I won't need many potions courses for that."

"You can study both magical and muggle law," Harry said enthusiastically. "Maybe open a dual practice someday."

"Or you could go into politics," Severus suggested. "Put some of those ideas of yours to work."

"Perhaps," Hermione said with a smile. The fact that Snape hadn't insulted her was as good as a compliment from another person. "You're right. There's nothing keeping me here. I should start over."

"You'll love it, Hermione," Harry gushed. "The professors use computers right in class to distribute notes, even in the magical courses. And every magical shop is computerized. Things are really more integrated there than they are here."

That was how they ended up with an extra passenger on their portkey.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Well, just one chapter left to go: the epilogue. I want to thank everyone who reviewed for their awesome support. Jules


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Harry looked out over his garden with a pleased smile. It had taken him a while to get the rundown space to reflect the potential he had seen when he and Severus had first toured the old brownstone. Unlike their flat, this was an old wizarding home that had gone to ruins over the generations. It was on a quiet street in the West Village, only a few blocks from their old home, but it had more space for their growing family.

Teddy and Julius came running out the back door to where Harry was sitting, excitement on their young faces. "School's out!"

"We have the whole summer to goof off," Julius said. "And you promised we could take a trip to see the Grandma Minnie, Aunt Luna, Uncle Neville and the twins." Luna and Neville had married soon after the custody hearing and had twin boys within a year of their marriage. Teddy and Julius adored the twins.

"I did," Harry said. "And we shall. Next week. Where are your sisters and brother?"

Teddy rolled his eyes in the manner that only a fourteen year old boy can. "They're inside. Shelly made snacks."

"I see," Harry said with a smile. Shelly was the nanny they had hired right after returning from England with Teddy. She had become a part of the family over the years. Even though all the kids were now in school, she was still there, helping them get ready for school every day and going over homework with them each night. She really was a godsend to Harry who didn't think he could have coped alone. And it was good for the children to have a woman around the house, especially the girls. "Well, why don't we go have a bite to eat too?"

The boys ran up the stairs to the deck and into the kitchen. Harry followed at a slower pace. They had decided to stop having children after Lacey was born six years ago, but Harry had been ill with the flu a while back and though he had taken his birth control potion, he had apparently thrown it back up again. Neither Harry nor Severus had thought anything about it. A few days later, he was feeling better and one thing led to another. Now they were expecting their sixth child.

One more and they would match the Weasleys.

Harry ignored that random thought and followed his boys into the kitchen. Sure enough, all five Children were seated around the large table munching on popcorn and drinking glasses of milk.

Teddy had taken some time to really settle in after they brought him home, but once he realized that no one was going to yell at him, or ignore him when he got cranky, he had latched onto Harry and Severus and had yet to let go. He and Julius were so close in age that at times it was like they were twins. Teddy was a year ahead of Julius in school, but they were both very smart and advanced for their ages. They both loved to fly on their school's Quadpot team and compete against the other schools in the area.

School was a little different here than back home. The boys went to a day school and came home on the bus every afternoon. There was actually a magical school in every borough, not to mention the ones in New Jersey, up state and Connecticut—all day schools. There were only three boarding schools in the entire country.

Their school was actually made up of three schools that corresponded to muggle school. They had an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. The curriculum was parallel to muggle schools as well, especially in the early years. Teddy and Julius were the only two of their children who had learned any magic so far. They didn't begin training in magic until they went to the middle school. That didn't stop Severus from teaching all of their children potions from the time they could talk.

Abigail had been born three years after Julius. Severus refused to have any more children until the two they had were both out of diapers and communicating in full sentences. Luckily for Harry, Julius was a smart boy and didn't take too long to do either. Two years later, Dorian was born and Lacey had come two years after that.

There were more magical children in America than in England. In fact, there were more magical children in New York City alone than there were in all of Britain. It seemed that their progressive ways were good for population growth. That being said, because there were more schools, the schools could keep smaller classes. As a result, all of their children got pretty personalized attention from their teachers. Lacey's class was the largest and there were only nine children.

Harry and Severus both volunteered in each of the kids' classes. They went once a week, so with five kids, that ended up being about once a month. Inevitably, Severus was called upon to teach something about potions and Harry told stories. After finishing his degrees, Harry had found that he liked to paint pictures for his kids and tell them stories that went along with those pictures. When Severus suggested that he send one of those stories to a publisher, Harry had been surprised but he did so anyway. Now he had a series of 12 children's books published and sold in both the magical and muggle world. And every time he went to the schools, he brought another story to tell the students. Not all of them would be published, but all of them were entertaining to the kids.

"Dad, Are Aunt 'Mione and Uncle Draco coming over tonight?" Abigail asked, breaking into Harry's thoughts.

"They are," Harry said. "And yes, Rose and Scorpius will be with them."

"Yes!" both Abigail and Dorian shouted. They were the two closest in age to Hermione and Draco's children and they had been best friends for years.

Lacey's best friend was Lillian Albright, John Albright's youngest. John had gotten married a few years after Harry and Severus to a very nice wizard who joined the new fathers group. Michael Albright nee Connors was an architect who worked in both the wizarding and muggle worlds and he had become a father just before his partner decided that he was not cut out for parenthood. Newly single and struggling with an infant, he had sought support and found it in the group and eventually in John himself. Severus liked to joke that John used the group as hunting ground until Harry reminded him that he met John at the clinic.

Draco and Hermione's love story was a rather interesting one. After Harry introduced the Malfoys to muggle technology, Lucius and Draco decided that they needed to be in the forefront of bringing that technology back to Britain. So Lucius had sent Draco to New York to learn. He had then hired Hermione who wasn't set to start school until September to teach him everything she knew about all the various devices and help him research ways that they are being used in the magical community.

Amazingly, this led to a brief romance, but when September came, Draco went home and Hermione started school and everyone involved believed that would be the end of things. But they had connected in a way no one had expected and so they continued to correspond, first through letters and then through email and Skype. And when Lucius decided that he wanted to expand Malfoy enterprises to include a technology division, Draco was the first to volunteer to go back to America to recruit the properly skilled wizards. He did that but then he never left.

Now Draco ran a branch of Malfoy Enterprises out of Manhattan, representing the business in their American interests—which were growing exponentially as technology began to take off in Britain and Europe—and developing new magical applications for muggle technology around the world.

Hermione had completed her law degrees and practiced law for a few years but had recently decided to go back to school and gain her doctorate so she could teach. Severus often teased her about his horror if they ever became colleagues, but it was all in good fun. Mostly. Hermione still didn't know how to take Severus' humor at times, and she was even worse with Lucius, but she loved Draco and Narcissa, so she dealt with Lucius and she loved Harry so she dealt with Severus.

Harry left his children in Shelly's capable hands and headed up to the master suite. They had bought the house when Harry had been pregnant with Dorian. They didn't want to make the older boys share a room, so they needed more space. The realtor they hired found this gem after only a couple days, but it had taken them three months of working with Michael Albright and a team of contractors to get it habitable. The house had fallen to disrepair and they had to do a major overhaul of the entire property, but it was worth all the extra effort.

The house had a large living room, a formal dining room, a library a huge modern eat-in kitchen all on the ground floor. In the cellar, they had a game room for the kids, a family room where they could watch television or movies, a potions lab for Severus, and a wine cellar. The first floor was taken up mostly with the master suite, though there was a nursery and an office that Harry used for his writing.

The next floor had six bedrooms and three bathrooms in Jack-and-Jill suites. That's where the children's rooms were located. The attic was Shelly's apartment. She had a big bedroom and a huge living room with a kitchenette. It was actually a pretty nice space for a single person.

The contractors had finished the house before Dorian was born and they had moved in, but the Garden hadn't been finished until three years later. Harry wanted to do the work himself. He found that gardening soothed him. But it was a HUGE garden. The small plot of land that their muggle neighbors could see was about twenty times the size in wizard's space. Now it was a showplace and Harry was proud of his garden. He was also happy that his children had a space to play outside, despite living in the city. They had a swimming pool, a hedge maze and a huge potions garden that Severus supervised, though Harry did most of the actual work.

Harry stepped out onto the balcony that over looked the garden from their bedroom and sighed. That was where Severus found him an hour later, sitting on the chaise and rubbing his swollen belly and staring out at the setting sun.

"You okay?" Severus asked as he urged Harry to slide forward so that he could sit behind him and hold the younger man against his chest.

"He's just being restless," Harry said with a small smile. "You just get home?"

"A few minutes ago," Severus said. "Shelly has the kids helping make cookies. Then she promised to entertain them with movies and games downstairs once the Malfoys arrive so that the adults can have dinner in peace."

"Sounds nice," Harry said a little distractedly.

"Okay, what's wrong, my brat?" Severus cajoled.

"Nothing," Harry denied. "Just thinking." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Did you ever believe it would turn out like this?"

"You and me?" Severus asked.

"All of it," Harry said. "You, me, the kids, this house, being happy and in love even after fifteen years?"

"No," Severus admitted. "I believed that we would both die in the fight against Voldemort. Every day since has been a blessing and I will be eternally grateful to the fates for granting them."

"Yeah," Harry said with a small smile. "That's kind of how I feel too."

They were both quiet for a while until Harry thought of something else. "Luna emailed. She said that Ron has been getting worse lately. Drinking more. He started a fight at the Leaky Cauldron this time and got banned. The only magical pub that will still let him through the doors is the Hogshead."

"And I'll bet that is only because Aberforth is just too softhearted to ban him," Severus said.

Harry sighed. "I feel sorry for him, you know?"

"You shouldn't," Severus said. "He chose his life."

"I know," Harry said.

He was quiet for too long and Severus sighed. "What did you do?"

Harry shrugged. "Nothing much. I just suggested that maybe Minerva might need a new groundskeeper now that Hagrid has moved to France. Only on the condition that he gets sober and stays sober, of course."

Severus snorted. "Minerva can whip him into shape if he'll accept the post."

"That was my thought," Harry said. "He needs… a purpose I suppose, some direction."

The rest of the Weasley clan had all come around eventually. Education had been a large part of the rebuilding programs Kingsley had put in place. With each new freedom that was given to those who had once been repressed, there was a huge campaign to educate the community about the reasons for those freedoms. In this way, many of the old prejudices had slowly been fading from the collective conscience. George admitting that both he and Fred had always been gay helped clear things up for Mrs. Weasley. George was now married to Lee Jordan and quite happy.

Only Ron had refused to admit that he had been wrong about Harry or homosexuality in general. He had resisted all the changes that had been taking place, including the introduction of technology to wizarding society. He had lost more than one job because he refused to learn how to use a computer. He was miserable and self-destructing. Harry just hoped that he could pull himself together. He didn't think Molly Weasley could stand burying another child. That was why Harry had spoken with Minerva on his behalf.

Harry had forgiven the Weasleys, but he wasn't exactly close to any of them. George wrote to him regularly, and he wrote him back, but it was still a tentative friendship at best.

"We should shower and dress," Severus eventually said. "Draco and Hermione will be here soon."

Harry smiled and struggled to his feet. "We can't keep them waiting, now can we?"

Severus watched as Harry slowly peeled off his clothes on the way to the bathroom. "Well, perhaps for a few minutes," Severus said and went to join his husband in the shower. "I'm sure they'll understand.

The last sound that escaped before the bathroom door closed behind them was a low growl and a yelp that quickly transformed into a moan.

**The End**

**A/N: **Sorry the posting on this is a couple hours late. Rough morning. That being said, I hope you enjoyed this story. I did want to address one question that was posed in the reviews. Yes, I know that the technology that Harry uses was not available at the time that the war ended according to canon timelines; however, as this is fan fiction, I decided to adjust things to suit my whim. Also, I know I was a little bit biased against the Brits in this story but, while I am American, I do not personally believe that we are any better or worse than other nations. In fact, I adore Britain and hope to return to visit again soon. Hope that clears up any confusion.

Well, I'm not finished with any new stories yet, but I am working on several, so those of you who follow me in other fandoms, I will be returning soon with new stories. I hope to see you all then. Thanks again for reading! Jules


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